The Aupōuri green gecko (Naultinus flavirictus), also known as the North Cape green gecko or yellow-lipped green gecko, is a species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae. While the existence of the species was known for many years, it was undescribed until early 2021, with its scientific name being Naultinus 'North Cape' prior to description as N. flavirictus.[3][4]
| Aupouri green gecko | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Naultinus |
| Species: | N. flavirictus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Naultinus flavirictus | |
It is endemic to the Aupouri Peninsula of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a diurnal species that inhabits scrubland and forests, inhabiting foliage such as those of mānuka and kānuka trees. It can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the diagnostic yellow color at the corners of the mouth, which are also what give it its specific epithet. The Department of Conservation gives N. flavirictus a conservation status of At Risk, with a declining population.[3][4]
References edit
- ^ Hitchmough, Rod; Anderson, Peter; Barr, Ben; Monks, Jo; Lettink, Marieke; Reardon, James; Tocher, Mandy; Whitaker, Tony. "Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2012" (PDF). Department of Conservation. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ a b "Naultinus 'North Cape' | NZHS". www.reptiles.org.nz. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ a b Hitchmough, Rodney A.; Nielsen, Stuart V.; Lysaght, Judith A.; Bauer, Aaron M. (2021-01-22). "A new species of Naultinus from the Te Paki area, northern New Zealand". Zootaxa. 4915 (3): 389–400. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4915.3.7. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 33756565.