| Jewelled gecko | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Naultinus |
| Species: | N. gemmeus |
| Binomial name | |
| Naultinus gemmeus (McCann, 1955) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Naultinus lineatus Gray, 1869 Naultinus elegans Lucas and Frost, 1897 |
|
The jewelled gecko, Naultinus gemmeus, is a species of gecko endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. There are two main subgroups of jewelled geckos: those living in Otago and those living in Canterbury. One obvious difference is that some of the males of the Canterbury geckos are grey or brown with yellow, purple and white markings; whereas all Otago geckos are green with yellow and white markings.
These and other New Zealand geckos are highly protected and it is illegal to capture or disturb them. Jewelled geckos are often targeted by wildlife smugglers.[1]