jewelled gecko glittering with pale spots on dark green
- Size
- Length: 7–9 cm
- Lifespan
- 10–15 years
- Diet
- Insectivorous and frugivorous - feeds on insects, spiders, and fruit nectar. A diurnal gecko that basks in the sun on branches and leaves. Active during the day, particularly in the morning and late afternoon. Uses its specialised toe pads to climb smooth surfaces, including leaves and branches.
- Habitat
- Coastal forests, shrublands, and rocky outcrops. Prefers dense vegetation with plenty of branches and leaves for climbing and basking. Often found in mānuka and kānuka scrub, as well as in broadleaf forests. Requires sunny spots for basking and dense cover for hiding from predators.
- Range
- New Zealand - found in the South Island, particularly in Otago, Southland, and the Catlins. Most common in coastal forests, shrublands, and rocky outcrops. Also found on the Otago Peninsula and Stewart Island. One of the southernmost gecko species in the world.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- Habitat loss from land development and forest clearance is the primary threat. Also threatened by predation from introduced rats, cats, and stoats, and by illegal collection for the pet trade due to its striking appearance. Classified as At Risk - Declining, with populations decreasing in many areas.
- Population
- A stunning bright green gecko with distinctive gold markings, found in the South Island. The Jewelled Gecko is diurnal, meaning it is active during the day, and can often be seen basking on branches or leaves. Its bright colouration provides camouflage among the green foliage, but also makes it a target for illegal collectors. One of New Zealand's most beautiful reptiles.
- Conservation Status
- At Risk - Declining
The Jewelled Gecko is the emerald of the South Island, defined by a beauty that is both its blessing and its curse. At seven to nine centimetres in length, it is a small gecko, slender and agile, with a stunning bright green body covered in distinctive gold markings - spots, stripes, and flecks that look like jewellery set into the skin. The belly is pale green to yellow, and the eyes are large and golden, with vertical pupils.
This is a gecko that does not hide. The Jewelled Gecko is diurnal, active during the day, and it basks in the sun on branches and leaves, its green colouration blending perfectly with the foliage. It is a master of camouflage, but when it moves, the gold markings flash, giving away its presence to any predator that is watching.
Biologically, the Jewelled Gecko is a viviparous species, giving birth to live young. Females produce one or two offspring each year, a slow reproductive rate that makes the species vulnerable to population decline. The young are born in late summer and are miniature versions of the adults, independent from birth.
The Jewelled Gecko is an arboreal species, spending most of its life in the branches of trees and shrubs. It uses its specialised toe pads to climb smooth surfaces, including leaves and branches, and it is an agile hunter, stalking insects and spiders among the foliage. It also eats fruit and nectar, supplementing its diet with the sweet, energy-rich food.
The decline of the Jewelled Gecko has been driven by habitat loss, predation, and illegal collection. Its striking appearance makes it a target for the pet trade, and collectors have been known to remove individuals from the wild, further reducing already small populations. Predation by rats, cats, and stoats is also a significant threat.
To see a Jewelled Gecko is to see one of New Zealand's most beautiful reptiles. It is a living jewel, a flash of green and gold in the South Island bush, and its survival depends on us - on the protection of its habitat, on the control of predators, on the enforcement of laws against illegal collection.