Wellington green gecko
Encyclopedia
The Wellington green gecko, Naultinus elegans punctatus, is a subspecies
of gecko
found only in the southern half of the North Island
of New Zealand
. The other subspecies, the Auckland green gecko, is found in the northern half of the North Island (except north of Whangaroa
) and the two ranges do not overlap.
The Wellington green gecko is much larger and more heavily built than the Auckland green gecko and can be distinguished by the yellow soles on its feet instead of grey-green. It lives arboreally in scrub and forest areas, especially kanuka and manuka
. Although it hunts nocturnally, for moths and flies, it also likes to sun-bask. It displays an aggressive behaviour, baring its open blue mouth and barking if provoked.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
found only in the southern half of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The other subspecies, the Auckland green gecko, is found in the northern half of the North Island (except north of Whangaroa
Whangaroa
Whangaroa is a locality on the harbour of the same name in Northland, New Zealand.Whangaroa is 8km north-west from Kaeo and 45km north from Okaihau. The harbour is almost landlocked and is popular both as a fishing spot in its own right and as a base for deep-sea fishing.The harbour was the scene...
) and the two ranges do not overlap.
The Wellington green gecko is much larger and more heavily built than the Auckland green gecko and can be distinguished by the yellow soles on its feet instead of grey-green. It lives arboreally in scrub and forest areas, especially kanuka and manuka
Leptospermum scoparium
Leptospermum scoparium is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand and southeast Australia. Evidence suggests that L. scoparium originated in Australia before the onset of the Miocene aridity and dispersed relatively recently from Eastern Australia to New Zealand. It is likely that on arrival...
. Although it hunts nocturnally, for moths and flies, it also likes to sun-bask. It displays an aggressive behaviour, baring its open blue mouth and barking if provoked.