The Cupola gecko (Mokopirirakau "cupola") is a species of gecko. Cupola is not its official scientific name; it is yet to be authorised as a separate species, and this term, named after the Cupola Basin in the Nelson Lakes National Park where it was first discovered, is used as a placeholder.[1] It is endemic to New Zealand. It has only been confirmed to be present in two places, the Cupola Basin in the Nelson Lakes National Park,[1] and the Sabine Valley.[1]
| Cupola gecko | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Mokopirirakau |
| Species: | M. "cupola"
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mokopirirakau "cupola" | |
In March 2021, 53 years after the first sighting, and 14 years after the last confirmed sighting, four cupola geckos, including a pregnant female, were found in the Sabine Valley in an expedition headed by herpetologist Ben Barr.[2]
Description
editVery few recorded specimens of the Cupola gecko exist.[3] It is similar in appearance to other forest geckos, having a grey-brown colour with dark W- or V-shaped bands or blotches.[3] It differs from other related species in that it has a shorter snout and a triangular shaped head with V-shaped markings.[2] It has a speckled undersurface, a bright orange mouth lining, and grey/brown eyes.[4] The sizes of adult specimens are unknown, but probably measure around 70-85mm.[4] Juveniles are dark grey-brown with grey chevron markings and scattered spots of mustard yellow.[4]
Distribution
editThe Cupola gecko is known only in the Cupola Basin and the Sabine Valley. The first Cupola Basin specimen was found in a scrubby boulder field not far above the Cupola Basin hut.[4]
Conservation status
editThe Department of Conservation classifies the Cupola gecko as Data Deficient under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Gee, Samantha (10 April 2021). "On the trail of a ghost: The history of the Cupola gecko". Stuff. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b Gee, Samantha (31 March 2021). "Cupola gecko population discovered more than 50 years after first sighting". Stuff. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Mokopirirakau SPECIES COMPLEX". New Zealand Herpetological Society. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Mokopirirakau "Cupola"". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 11 April 2021.