Canterbury gecko
| Canterbury gecko | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Woodworthia |
| Species: | W. brunnea |
| Binomial name | |
| Woodworthia brunnea (Cope, 1869) | |
| Distribution of the Canterbury gecko on a map of the South Island Known native range | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Canterbury gecko (Woodworthia brunnea) is a gecko found in the South Island of New Zealand. It is also known by the Māori names Waitaha gecko and Moko-pāpā, and as the brown gecko. It had previously been placed in a different genus and called Hoplodactylus brunneus, but further study split the genus Hoplodactylus into six genera, with some groups close to the former Hoplodactylus maculatus "Canterbury" being assigned to the new genus Woodworthia.
The forms are separated geographically but have evolved from a common ancestor. Woodworthia geckos belong to the subfamily Diplodactylidae, known to be a primitive group found only in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. The significant differences between New Zealand and Australian Diplodactylids may suggest that geckos have been in New Zealand since it broke away from the Gondwana supercontinent 85 million years ago. The geckos are usually brown and highly patterned, including striped morphs. The eye colour ranges from green, brown to bright yellow and they can occur over a variety of habitats including dune-lands, forests, shrublands, river terraces and bluffs. The gecko is endemic to New Zealand.