Forest geckos (Mokopirirakau 'Southern North Island') display diurno-nocturnal activity and are not reliant on retreats

New Zealand geckos face a range of threats yet, for most species, basic biological information necessary for conservation management is lacking. The southern North Island forest gecko (Mokopirirakau 'Southern North Island') is an arboreal gecko about which little has been published. We use...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:New Zealand journal of zoology 2014-04, Vol.41 (2), p.103-113
Main Authors: Romijn, RL, Nelson, NJ, Monks, JM
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
habitat use
Mokopirirakau
morphology
movement patterns
New Zealand
radio telemetry
reptile
retreat site selection
Retreats
social behaviour
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:New Zealand geckos face a range of threats yet, for most species, basic biological information necessary for conservation management is lacking. The southern North Island forest gecko (Mokopirirakau 'Southern North Island') is an arboreal gecko about which little has been published. We used systematic searches and radio telemetry at Otari-Wilton's Bush in Wellington to investigate its habitat use and movement patterns. Nearly 30 hours of searching in 2011 and 2012 resulted in 47 gecko sightings at a rate of 1.58 geckos per person hour. Six geckos were radio-tracked for 7-13 days in January 2012. Geckos displayed diurnal and nocturnal activity, but moved greater distances in the middle of the day. They moved on average 9.5 m in 24 hours. Geckos were mainly arboreal and usually located on the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs, and used retreats irregularly. This exposed behaviour may increase the vulnerability of this species to predation by introduced mammalian predators.
ISSN:0301-4223
1175-8821
DOI:10.1080/03014223.2013.860041