Dozens of species of gecko are found in New Zealand.[1] The exact number is unknown; as of 2021, there are 48 described species across 7 genera, with more being studied.[2] All are native to New Zealand and are endemic (i.e., found nowhere else). All are placed in the Diplodactylidae family, which is found across Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand.
New Zealand's geckos are highly unusual in that they are viviparous, giving birth to live young, typically twins; most other geckos are oviparous (egg-layers). Two species of the New Caledonian rough-snouted giant geckos are the only other viviparous geckos in the world.
Like most gecko species, New Zealand’s geckos are omnivorous, consuming a diet that is primarily insectivorous in nature, hunting numerous flies, arachnids, lepidoptorans and gryllids (crickets). However, depending on several factors (such as the time of year, seasonal insect availability, bloom cycles of flowering plants, etc.), many geckos will supplement—or even briefly alter—their diets by consuming blossoms, fruits (i.e., from mahoe) or nectar (i.e., from flax flowers) as it becomes available.[3]
Geckos are often a target for wildlife smugglers for sale via the reptile and pet trade.
^Dylan van Winkel; Marleen Baling; Rod Hitchmough (2018). Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand (1st ed.). Auckland: Auckland University Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-86940-937-1. OL 40449345M. Wikidata Q76013985.
^Rod Hitchmough; Ben Barr; Carey Knox; et al. (2021). Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2021(PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. Vol. 35. pp. 1–23. ISBN 978-1-9911529-2-3. ISSN 2324-1713. Wikidata Q108747299. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 July 2022. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
^Brian Gill and Tony Whitaker (1996). New Zealand frogs and reptiles. David Bateman Ltd.
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