Gigarcanum delcourti, formerly Hoplodactylus delcourti, is an extinct species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae. It is the largest known of all geckos, with a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 37 cm (14.6 in) and an overall length (including tail) of at least 60 cm (23.6 in).[2] It is only known from a single taxidermied specimen collected in the 19th century that was rediscovered unlabelled in a museum in France. The origin of the specimen was undocumented.[1] While originally suggested to have been from New Zealand and the kawekaweau of Māori oral tradition,[3][4][5] DNA evidence from the specimen suggests that it originates from New Caledonia.[6]
^ abHitchmough, R.; van Winkel, D.; Lettink, M.; Chapple, D. (2019). "Hoplodactylus delcourti ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T10254A120158840. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T10254A120158840.en.
^Wilson, Kerry-Jayne (2004). Flight of the Huia: Ecology and Conservation of New Zealand's Frogs, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals. Canterbury University Press. ISBN 0-908812-52-3. OCLC 937349394.
^Worthy, T.H. (March 1997). "Quaternary fossil fauna of South Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 27 (1): 67–162. Bibcode:1997JRSNZ..27...67W. doi:10.1080/03014223.1997.9517528.
^Tennyson, Alan J.D. (2010). "The origin and history of New Zealand's terrestrial vertebrates" (PDF). New Zealand Ecological Society. 34 (1): 6–27.
^Worthy, Trevor H. (2016). "A Review of the Fossil Record of New Zealand Lizards". New Zealand Lizards. Springer International Publishing. pp. 65–86. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41674-8_3. ISBN 978-3-319-41672-4.
^Heinicke, Matthew P.; Nielsen, Stuart V.; Bauer, Aaron M.; Kelly, Ryan; Geneva, Anthony J.; Daza, Juan D.; Keating, Shannon E.; Gamble, Tony (2023-06-19). "Reappraising the evolutionary history of the largest known gecko, the presumably extinct Hoplodactylus delcourti, via high-throughput sequencing of archival DNA". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 9141. Bibcode:2023NatSR..13.9141H. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-35210-8. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10279644. PMID 37336900.
Gigarcanum delcourti, formerly Hoplodactylus delcourti, is an extinct species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae. It is the largest known of all geckos...
the wriggling tail, allowing the gecko to escape. The largest species, Gigarcanum delcourti, is only known from a single, stuffed specimen probably collected...
white, orange, and/or pink. It was only exceed in size by the now extinct Gigarcanum delcourti known from a single specimen 50% longer and probably several...
relative Insular / mainland length or mass ratio Delcourt's giant gekko Gigarcanum delcourti New Caledonia Extinct (c. AD 1870) Diplodactylid geckos LR ≈...
Woodworthia maculata (Gray, 1845) – New Zealand common gecko or Raukawa gecko Gigarcanum delcourti (formerly Hoplodactylus delcourti), the largest known species...
New Caledonian geckos, warranting its placement in the separate genus Gigarcanum, meaning that it is unlikely that the specimen originated in New Zealand...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures Delcourt's giant gecko Gigarcanum delcourti unknown; probably New Caledonia Only known from a unlabelled...
occurrence on Chatham Island has been discounted." The extinct gecko Gigarcanum delcourti is known only from a single specimen of unknown provenance....