Northland green gecko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northland green gecko |
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| at Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch | |
| Conservation status | |
 Sparse (NZ TCS) |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Naultinus
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| Species: |
grayii
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| Synonyms | |
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The Northland green gecko or Gray's tree gecko (Naultinus grayii ) is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is found only in the Northland region of New Zealand, north of Whangaroa; it is one of the rarest and most highly sought after lizards.
Taxonomy
Naultinus grayii was originally described by Thomas Bell in 1843.
Etymology
The specific name, grayii, is in honor of British herpetologist John Edward Gray.
Description
The Northland green gecko is vivid green with grey or gold-coloured markings on either side along the dorsal surface. Males have a blue band along the sides just below the limbs. Underneath, the ventral surface of both sexes is bright pale green, sometimes with a yellow tinge. The inside of the mouth is deep blue with a bright red tongue.
Its total length (including tail) is up to 200 mm (7.9 in), and its snout-to-vent length (SVL) is up to 95 mm (3.7 in).
Behaviour
The Northland green gecko is diurnal, often found sun-basking. It has an arboreal lifestyle, especially favouring stands of manuka, kanuka, and mingimingi.
Conservation status
In 2012 the Department of Conservation classified the Northland green gecko as "At Risk" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. It was judged as meeting the criteria for "At Risk" threat status as a result of it having a low to high ongoing or predicted decline. This gecko is also regarded as being "Data Poor".
Captivity
This species, like all the Naultinus species, is regarded as the Holy grail of Geckos among their keepers, often going for a large amount of money for a pair of lizards. Outside of its home range, it is most commonly kept in Europe where there are several keepers producing offspring, though still extremely rarely seen.
Smuggling
In 2001 a German tourist was fined $12,000 for attempting to smuggle Northland green geckos out of the country in his underwear.
See also
In Spanish: Naultinus grayii para niños
