It loves the splash zone. Dactylocnemis pacificus has a tolerance for salt spray and a love of the shoreline. At seven to nine centimetres in length, it is a medium-sized gecko. Flattened body, large eyes, and specialised toe pads allow it to climb smooth surfaces. Colouration is variable. Grey to brown, often with darker bands. A distinctive pale stripe runs along its back. A gecko that wears the colours of the coast. A gecko of the rocky shore. Found in coastal forests, scrublands, and rocky shorelines. Often in the splash zone where waves crash and salt spray coats the rocks. It hides under rocks and bark during the day. Emerging at night to hunt insects attracted to beach vegetation. A common sight on offshore islands, where it basks on sun-warmed rocks. Widespread and common in North Island and on offshore islands. Absent from South Island except for accidental introductions. Viviparous, giving birth to live young. Females produce one or two offspring each year. A slow reproductive rate typical of New Zealand geckos. The young are born in late summer and are miniature versions of the adults. Independent from birth. A generalist, able to live in a range of coastal habitats. Found under bark, in rock piles, in stone walls, and in coastal vegetation. A familiar sight to anyone who spends time on the coast of the North Island. Though its nocturnal habits mean it is more often heard than seen. Not threatened. The rocky shore is wet. The gecko hides under a rock, flattened body, pale stripe along its back. The waves crash. The salt spray coats the rock. The gecko does not care. It does not know it is a survivor. It does not know it is common. It just wants to eat a moth. A lizard that has made its home on the edge of the land. Where the forest meets the sea. A survivor of the coast. A creature of the rocks and the waves. The Pacific gecko is proof.