Jewelled gecko

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 Naulthinus elegans Werner, 1901 Heteropholis gemmeus McCann, 1955 Heteropholis gemmeus Wermuth, 1965 Naultinus elegans gemmeus Meads, 1982 Naultinus gemmeus Thomas, 1982 Naultinus gemmeus Rösler, 2000

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]

See also

• Geckos of New Zealand
• Wildlife smuggling in New Zealand

References

1. ^ Fox, Rebecca (7 May 2011). "Time to hit smugglers". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/otago/159410/time-hit-smugglers. Retrieved 7 May 2011. 

External links

• Naultinus gemmeus at the New Zealand Herpetological Society