Cloudy gecko
| Cloudy gecko | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Mokopirirakau |
| Species: | M. nebulosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Mokopirirakau nebulosus (McCann, 1955)
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| Distribution of the cloudy gecko on a map of the South Island Known native range
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| Synonyms | |
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The cloudy gecko (Mokopirirakau nebulosus) is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand.[2] It is found on Stewart Island and its outlying islands. It is both arboreal and terrestrial, living in lowland forest, scrub and shrubs, and also in rocky areas,[3] typically in cold, wet, exposed places.[4]
Cloudy geckos were considered to be forest geckoes (Mokopirirakau granulatus) until they were described as a separate species in 1955, at which time they were placed in the Heteropholis genus.[5] Their appearance is very similar in pattern and colour to the forest gecko, however, there is usually more green and brown rather than grey, and the pattern is less distinct. The inside of the mouth is yellow to bright orange.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Listed by New Zealand
- ^ "Mokopirirakau nebulosus". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
- ^ a b "Cloudy gecko". www.reptiles.org.nz. New Zealand Herpetological Society. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Mokopirirakau". www.reptiles.org.nz. New Zealand Herpetological Society. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ Hitchmough, Rodney A.; Patterson, Geoffrey B.; Chapple, David G. (2016). "Putting a name to diversity: Taxonomy of the New Zealand lizard fauna". In Chapple, David G. (ed.). New Zealand Lizards. Cham: Springer International Publishing. p. 101. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41674-8_4. ISBN 978-3-319-41674-8.