Gray's Sticky-toed Gecko
Mokopirirakau granulatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyDiplodactylidae (Australasian Geckos)
- GenusMokopirirakau (New Zealand Forest Geckos)
- SpeciesMokopirirakau granulatus (Gray's Sticky-toed Gecko)
About the Gray's Sticky-toed Gecko
The forest gecko (Mokopirirakau granulatus) is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. Its Māori name is moko pirirākau ("lizard that clings to trees"). It is found in much of the north and central North Island, and the north and upper west of the South Island. It is a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953.
The species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1845, based on a holotype found in the British Museum. He named it Naultinus granulatus, or the granular naultinus. Granulatus refers to the granular texture of the skin. By the 1880s the forest gecko had been recombined as a member of the genus Hoplodactylus.
In 2011 the genus Mokopirirakau was established due to a phylogenetic analysis of New Zealand lizard genera. The forest gecko was placed within this genus, and became the type species. The rare Cupola gecko of the Nelson Lakes National Park was suspected to be a separate species, until DNA testing in 2021 showed it to be the forest gecko.
Their backs are brown-grey with bright w-shaped splotches, resembling tree bark. Geckos in the southern end of their range often have brighter shades of red and orange. They can rapidly... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Egmont National Park
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Gray's Sticky-toed Gecko in Egmont National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray's Sticky-toed Gecko sighting in Egmont National Park, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Gray's Sticky-toed Gecko in Egmont National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Gray's Sticky-toed Gecko in Egmont National Park in our monthly data.