Auckland Green Gecko

Fascinating facts about the Auckland Green Gecko

• When John Edward Gray first described the Auckland green gecko in 1842, he noted a vivid green hue and a distinctive streak along the under-lip – a detail that still helps field biologists spot this tiny lizard among the foliage. Its bright green coat blends perfectly with New Zealand’s native vines, making it a master of camouflage. This early description shows how even 19th-century naturalists could capture the essence of a species that today faces mounting pressures.
• The species can grow up to 75 mm (3 in) in length and is slender compared with the Wellington green gecko, which is slightly larger and bulkier. The undersides of the feet are grey-green, while those of the Wellington form are yellow.
• The gecko’s range is the upper half of New Zealand’s North Island, except north of Whangaroa, and it also inhabits four islands in the Hauraki Gulf.
• Taxonomic twists have followed this gecko for nearly two centuries: first named by Gray in 1842, then split into a subspecies by Frederick Hutton in 1872, later merged with the Wellington form in 1980, and finally standardized as Naultinus punctatus in 2014. These shifts reveal how scientific perspectives evolve with new data, reminding us that classification is a living process, not a static label.
• In 2012 the Department of Conservation listed the Auckland green gecko as ‘At Risk’ under New Zealand’s Threat Classification System because it meets the criteria of a low to high ongoing or predicted decline.

At a glance

About the Auckland Green Gecko

The Auckland green gecko (Naultinus elegans) is a slender, bright-green reptile that reaches up to 75 mm (3.0 in) in total length. It has a pale underside, a thin black-edged white stripe along the lip, two arched head stripes, and irregular spots on the sides of its back and hind limbs. The undersurfaces of its feet and toes are grey-green, unlike the yellow-tinged soles of the Wellington green gecko. It is found only in the northern half of New Zealand’s North Island, excluding the area north of Whangaroa, and on four islands of the Hauraki Gulf. It can hybridise with the Wellington green gecko where their ranges overlap.

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