Hoplodactylus

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iHoplodactylus

Hoplodactylus pacificus

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Sauria
Family:	Gekkonidae
Genus:	Hoplodactylus

Species

See text

Hoplodactylus is one of two genera of geckos native to New Zealand, the other being Naultinus.

Species in this genus tend to have rather dull colouration with little variation on a generally brown/grey theme, although mottled greens are seen in some species, notably the forest gecko, Hoplodactylus granulatus. The one exception to this rule of general drabness in colouration is the striking "herring boned" colour pattern of green, brown, black and white that is displayed by Hoplodactylus rakiurae.

Although generally species of this genus cannot compete with those of Naultinus in terms of their vivid and beautiful colouration, Hoplodactylus species do have the ability to subtly change their skin colour pattern to give better camouflage, thus reducing the risk of predation. "In some of the Hoplodactylus species, the ability to change colour provides a supplementary method of thermoregulation"(*1). When basking in cold conditions they can darken their skin to increase the amount of heat absorbed and conversely they can lighten the shades in hot weather to reflect more light and keep cool. All species in this genus have more or less nocturnal activity patterns in contrast to the solely diurnal nature of Naultinus species and unlike species in the latter genus, are not purely arboreal and will forage on the ground.

Hoplodactylus species do not have prehensile tails and are thus generally less reluctant to drop them when disturbed by predators than species in the Naultinus genus - however, there are two exceptions, the Goldstripe gecko Hoplodactylus chrysosireticus and the Pacific gecko Hoplodactylus pacificus both have a very flighty disposition and will often shed their tails at the slightest provocation.

Species of the Hoplodactylus genus also have toes that are broader and more expanded than their relatives in the Naultinus genus.

Hoplodactylus duvaucelii is the largest species of gecko remaining in New Zealand although due to predation by introduced mammals such as the Norway rat their range is at present restricted to pest-free offshore islands.

The extinct Kawekaweau/Delcourt's gecko Hoplodactylus delcourti was the largest known gecko in the world. It was first described in 1986 though the only known specimen was collected in the early 1800s but was overlooked in a French museum for more than a century.

[edit] Species

Goldstripe gecko, Hoplodactylus chrysosireticus
Kawekaweau/Delcourt's gecko, Hoplodactylus delcourti (extinct)
Duvaucels gecko, Hoplodactylus duvaucelii
Forest gecko, Hoplodactylus granulatus
Black-eyed gecko, Hoplodactylus kahutarae
Common gecko, Hoplodactylus maculatus
Cloudy gecko, Hoplodactylus nebulosus
Pacific gecko, Hoplodactylus pacificus
Harlequin gecko, Hoplodactylus rakiurae
Cook Strait striped gecko, Hoplodactylus stephensi
Takitimu gecko, Hoplodactylus cryptozoicus

[edit] References

"New Zealand Geckos; A guide to captive maintenance and breeding", RPV Rowlands, Ecoprint, 1999
"New Zealand frogs and reptiles", Brian Gill and Tony Whitaker, David Bateman publishers, 1996