Harlequin gecko

The harlequin gecko (Tukutuku rakiurae),[4] formerly Hoplodactylus rakiurae,[5] is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Stewart Island/Rakiura in the far south of New Zealand, where it was discovered in 1969.[6] In terms of distribution it is one of the southernmost gecko species in the world.[7]

Harlequin gecko
CITES Appendix III (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Diplodactylidae
Genus: Tukutuku
Nielsen, Bauer, Jackman, Hitchmough & Daugherty, 2011
Species:
T. rakiurae
Binomial name
Tukutuku rakiurae
(Thomas, 1981)
Distribution map of Tukutuku rakiurae in Stewart Island.
Distribution map of Tukutuku rakiurae on Stewart Island.
Synonyms[3]
  • Hoplodactylus rakiurae
    B. Thomas, 1981
  • Tukutuku rakiurae
    — Nielsen et al., 2011

Etymology

The generic name, Tukutuku, refers to the Māori ornamental lattice work called Tukutuku, which the dorsal pattern of this species resembles.[3] The specific name, rakiurae, refers to Rakiura, the Maori name for Stewart Island.[3]

Habitat

The preferred habitats of T. rakiurae are shrubland and wetlands.[1]

Reproduction

T. rakiurae is viviparous.[3]

Conservation status and threats

The harlequin gecko has been assessed as Endangered by the IUCN since 2018, owing to its rarity, small range and declining population. Stewart Island is overrun with invasive predators such as cats (Felis domesticus) and rats (Rattus rattus, R. exulans, and R. norvegicus), which have also contributed to declines among native bird species. Like other New Zealand geckos, harlequin geckos breed and develop very slowly, with a female giving birth to only one offspring every two or three years. Each generation, which takes about 20 years to mature, appears to have about 30% fewer individuals than the previous generation. Poaching for the international pet trade is another potential threat: although the species has yet to be introduced into the pet trade, it is a known target of poachers acting within Rakiura National Park.[1]

As of 2012 the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified the harlequin gecko as Nationally Vulnerable under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[8] The species is protected under Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning international import/export is regulated by the CITES permitting system.[9]

References
  1. Hitchmough, R.; van Winkel, D.; Lettink, M.; Chapple, D. (2019). "Tukutuku rakiurae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T10252A120188000. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T10252A120188000.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. Listed by New Zealand.
  3. Species Tukutuku rakiurae at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  4. Tukutuku rakiurae Archived 2010-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, Harlequin gecko. New Zealand Lizards Database. Landcare Research.
  5. "The taxonomy of the New Zealand geckos has recently been extensively revised...". New Zealand Herpetological Society.
  6. Gill, Brian; Whitaker, Tony (1996). New Zealand Frogs and Reptiles. Auckland: David Bateman Publishing. 112 pp. ISBN 978-1869532642.
  7. Morris, Rod; Ballance, Allison (2008). Rare Wildlife of New Zealand. Auckland: Random House Publishing. ISBN 978-1869419127.
  8. Hitchmough, Rod; Anderson, Peter; Barr, Ben; Monks, Jo; Lettink, Marieke; Reardon, James; Tocher, Mandy; Whitaker, Tony (2012). "Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2012" (PDF). Department of Conservation. The Government of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  9. "CITES Appendices" (PDF). CITES.org. Retrieved 16 October 2022.

Further reading
  • Nielsen SV, Bauer AM, Jackman TR, Hitchmough RA, Daugherty CH (2011). "New Zealand geckos (Diplodactylidae): Cryptic diversity in a post-Gondwanan lineage with trans-Tasman affinities". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 59 (1): 1-22. (Tukutuku, new genus; Tukutuku rakiurae, new combination).
  • Thomas BW (1981). "Hoplodactylus rakiurae n. sp. (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Stewart Island, New Zealand, and comments on the taxonomic status of Heteropholis nebulosus McCann". New Zealand J. Zool. 8: 37–47. (Hoplodactylus rakiurae, new species).


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