Orange-spotted gecko

Mokopirirakau

At Risk - Declining

The orange-spotted gecko (Mokopirirakau “Roys Peak”) is undoubtedly among New Zealand’s most exquisite and beloved reptiles. These vibrant critters are endemic to the craggy mountains of Otago and South Canterbury.

Quick Facts:

• Body length (snout-to-vent) up to 95 mm.
• Contrary to their name, orange-spotted geckos (OSGs) are usually shades of brown or grey in colour with cream or brown blotches/stripes. Nevertheless, they are staggeringly beautiful, sometimes with bright orange spots and splashes of rusty red. Some individuals are entirely orange.
• OSGs are primarily active on the surface at night, but will often slide their bellies out of crevices – to catch a few rays – during the day. This is especially important for pregnant females with baby buns in the oven!
• Remarkably cold-tolerant – some individuals have even been observed on sub-zero nights.

Protecting the orange-spotted gecko means preserving alpine/sub-alpine habitats and combatting exotic mammalian predators – climate change may also pose a significant threat to this species. Alpine geckos can be tricky to monitor, so we’re not quite sure how to meaningfully mitigate the threats to this species yet. However, we’re hopeful that new technologies and predator-control strategies will help us.

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