Korowai Gecko

Fascinating facts about the Korowai Gecko

• A tiny population of just 32 known individuals clings to a handful of sand-dune and rocky sites on New Zealand’s west Auckland coast.
• First spotted on Oaia Island in 1954 but only recognized as its own species in 2016, the korowai gecko was finally described in 2023 by van Winkel, Wells, Harker and Hitchmough.
• Measuring up to 69 mm (2.7 in) from snout to the base of its tail, this gecko’s striped pattern inspired the name korowai after traditional Māori cloaks.
• Living mainly in sand dunes and on rocky outcrops, the gecko is nocturnal but will sun-bask by day near vegetation.
• Scientists estimate the korowai gecko split from its close relative Woodworthia maculata in the mid-to-late Pliocene.

At a glance

About the Korowai Gecko

The korowai gecko (Woodworthia korowai) is a modestly sized reptile, reaching just 69 mm from snout to the base of its tail, cloaked in grey or sandy-brown tones that echo the dunes and rocky outcrops of its western Auckland home. A striking inverted "v" sits between its eyes, while lighter longitudinal stripes run down the rear of its back, patterns that reminded Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara of the woven korowai cloaks after which the species is named. Its coloration subtly shifts with micro-habitat: individuals in the sun-baked sand dunes of Muriwai appear more tan, whereas those perched on the grey stones of eastern Oaia Island retain a cooler hue. By night the gecko becomes active, hunting for insects under the cover of darkness, yet it will sun-bask in daylight near vegetation to regulate its temperature. Births cluster around March and April, a brief reproductive window that underscores the species' delicate life cycle. A surprising trait lies in its anatomy: the final sections of its legs (distal phalanges) are shorter than those of its close relative Woodworthia maculata, a feature that may aid its grip on loose sand and rugged rock alike, hinting at a finely tuned adaptation to two very different substrates. Only 32 known individuals persist across a razor-thin range that includes Te Korowai-o-Te-Tonga Peninsula, Muriwai Beach, Muriwai Regional Park and Oaia Island. This extreme confinement, coupled with its nocturnal habits and limited breeding season, makes every sighting a fleeting glimpse into a lineage that diverged from its nearest kin in the mid-to-late Pliocene. The gecko’s existence is a living reminder that even in a country famed for its bird diversity, tiny, cryptic reptiles can hold entire evolutionary stories within their striped skins, waiting to be uncovered by the next night-time explorer.

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