Atlas species information

Habitat

• Forest and scrub.
• Has been found in both arboreal and terrestrial situations, from the coast up to about 500 m above sea level.
• Largely nocturnal, but sun-basks near retreat.
• Arboreal or terrestrial.

Description

• Olive-grey to dark pinkish-brown (rarely dark olive-green), individuals usually only undergo minor colour changes.
• Patterned with drab W-shaped bands or broad herringbone patches, often with broad stripes on neck and shoulders.
• Overall effect very drab and moss-like.
• Undersurface speckled or with dull, irregular longitudinal stripes.
• Mouth lining bright orange, tongue orange with a dark grey patch.
• Measures 76-80 mm (rarely 85 mm) from snout tip to vent.
• Tail usually equal or slightly longer than snout-vent length.

Distribution

• Stewart Island and outliers, including some very small, exposed islands.
• Abundant on several offshore islands but rarely encountered on the Stewart Island mainland.
• Not known to co-exist with other members of the Hoplodactylus granulatus species complex.

Notes

• Moko-piri-rakau is the Maori name for forest gecko.
• The species part of the scientific name means "cloudy", probably in reference to the drab colour pattern.
• Placed in synonomy of Mokopirirakau granulatus by Thomas (1981), but recognized by Hitchmough (1997) and now widely accepted.
• Notes about 2008-10 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles (Hitchmough et al 2010): Believed to have gone from most of main Stewart Island, recovering on Codfish, Big South Cape, etc.
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles: (Hitchmough, et al.
• 2012): Believed to have gone from most of main Stewart Island - uncertain whether they are functionally extinct there (which affects trend assessment).
• Likely to be recovering on Codfish, Taukihepa and other southern islands, but no actual evidence of this.
• Limited access to islands makes it difficult to assess status.
• Taukihepa eradicated of mammals since last listing.