Short-toed gecko

Woodworthia “southern mini”

At Risk - Declining

The short-toed gecko (Woodworthia “southern mini”) is a petite southern relative of the North Island’s goldstripe gecko (Woodworthia chrysosiretica). It almost exclusively occupies the craggy high country of western Otago and Southland.

Quick Facts:

• Body length (snout-to-vent) up to 65 mm.
• Short-toed geckos are various shades of fawn or olive in colour, sometimes with faint markings and dark speckles. They typically sport a prominent canthal stripe between each eye and nostril.
• Like most New Zealand geckos, short-toeds are primarily active on the surface at night, with periodic basking during the day.
• Short-toed geckos prefer to keep to themselves and do not appear to form large aggregations like other Woodworthia geckos.
• The name of this species alludes to the short distal portion of its toes (the bit with the claw).

Protecting the short-toed gecko means combatting exotic mammals preserving rocky shrublands and grasslands – particularly those with screes, talus and complex rock outcrops. This species is not currently safe from mammals, but we’d love to change that soon.

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