Naultinus grayii
| Northland green gecko | |
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| Northland green gecko at Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Naultinus |
| Species: | N. grayii |
| Binomial name | |
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Naultinus grayii Bell, 1843 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Northland green gecko, Naultinus grayii, is a species of gecko found only in the Northland region of New Zealand, north of Whangaroa; it is one of the rarest and most highly sought after lizards. 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).
Naultinus grayii was originally described by Thomas Bell in 1843.
The specific name, grayii, is in honor of British herpetologist John Edward Gray.
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.
The Northland green gecko is diurnal, often found sun-basking. It has an arboreal lifestyle, especially favouring stands of manuka, kanuka, and mingimingi.
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.
In 2001 a German tourist was fined $12,000 for attempting to smuggle Northland green geckos out of the country in his underwear.
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Wikipedia