Rare Coromandel striped gecko found

Date:  26 April 2013

A local Coromandel man has found a rare and very elusive Coromandel striped gecko on a road near Colville. He delivered it safely to Nicole McCauley of Te Kauae o Maui Nature Reserve where it was collected by Department of Conservation staff.

'It's very exciting to find a Coromandel striped gecko so close to our conservation block as we have recently started our intensive rat trapping in the block,' said Ms McCauley. 'A benefit to this is that there is still a living breeding male in the wild which is a great outlook for the species.'

Doug Ashby holds the beautiful female Coromandel striped gecko

The gecko is a female and thought to be pregnant, which will be a huge step in supporting the species in the future.

The gecko will be held by Herpetological Society member Doug Ashby in Hikutaia until more is known about the reptile. 'We'll keep her in isolation until a decision has been made about where to release her,' says Mr Ashby.

Mr Ashby is holding five of the ten known Coromandel striped geckos and is recording information about the geckos. Last years breeding produced two babies, one of which unfortunately died. The remaining gecko is being monitored, measured and weighed every 3 months.

Written by Bridie Caldwell

*Bridie Caldwell is a Hauraki Plains College student and is volunteering for the Department of Conservation during the school holidays.

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