All 43 species of gecko in New Zealand are live-bearers (ovoviviparous) and generally give birth to twins in summer. Geckos have an excellent sense of smell, sight & hearing. Most species are vocal, communicating by clicks & squeaks. When acting aggressively they arch their backs, open their mouths in a threatening manner, & flick their tails from side to side. There is a great variety in colour & size, from bright-greens & yellows to bark-like greys and browns. Geckos are renowned for their climbing ability, some being able to climb vertical glass using rows of incredibly fine 'hairs' on their toe pads. The largest gecko attains a length of 230mm (includes tail).
The taxonomy of the New Zealand geckos has recently been extensively revised. Grey and brown geckos were previously classified in the genus Hoplodactylus, but there are now six genera with the 33 species. We have notes on ten of the more common grey/brown species and on ten green geckos, the Naultinus genus