The korowai gecko (''Woodworthia korowai''), also known as the Muriwai gecko, is a

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

found on the west coast of the

Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland Metropolitan Area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Containing ...

of New Zealand. First discovered on Oaia Island in 1954, the species was recognised as distinct from ''

Woodworthia maculata ''Woodworthia maculata'', also known as the New Zealand common gecko or Raukawa gecko, is a species in the family Diplodactylidae. The specific name ''maculata'' means "speckled".''New Zealand Frogs and Reptiles'', Brian Gill and Tony Whitaker, D ...

'' in 2016, and was formally described in 2023. Only 32 individuals are known to exist as of 2023, all within a very restricted range, on

Te Korowai-o-Te-Tonga Peninsula Te Korowai-o-Te-Tonga Peninsula, also known as South Head and by its former name of the South Kaipara Peninsula, is a long peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand, extending north along the western edge of the Kaipara Harbour for some from ...

Muriwai Beach Muriwai, also called Muriwai Beach, is a coastal community on the west coast of the Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. The black-sand surf beach and surrounding area is a popular recreational area for Aucklanders. The Muriwai ...

Muriwai Regional Park Muriwai Regional Park is a regional park located in Muriwai on the west coast of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is situated in Rodney north-west of Auckland and is owned and operated by Auckland Council. Geography Maukati ...

and Oaia Island.

Taxonomy

''Woodworthia'' geckoes were first identified as living on the west coast of the Auckland Region in 1954 when geckoes were found living on Oaia Island; then identified as ''Woodworthia maculata''. The korowai gecko was first recognised as a distinct species in 2016. It was formally described in 2023, by herpetologists Dylan van Winkel, Sarah Jane Wells, Nicholas Harker and Rod Hitchmough, based on morphological and genetic differences. The species name was given by

Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara is a Māori iwi and hapū of New Zealand, which is part of Ngāti Whātua. See also *List of Māori iwi This is a list of iwi (New Zealand Māori tribes). List of iwi This list includes groups recognised as iwi (tribe ...

, who named the species after their habitat,

, and after (traditional cloaks), as their striped patterns are reminiscent of some traditional patterns seen on . The species is most closely related to ''

'', and is distinct morphologically and genetically. The scientists who described the korowai gecko estimate the two species diverged in the mid to late

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58 Before the species was formally described, it was referred to as the Muriwai gecko, and in scientific texts ''Woodworthia'' aff. ''maculata'' "Muriwai". The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

was collected by Stephen Thorpe in 2003, and is stored at the

Auckland War Memorial Museum The Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira (or simply the Auckland Museum) is one of New Zealand's most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history (and especially the history of the Aucklan ...

. This holotype was originally identified as ''Woodworthia maculata''.

Description

The korowai gecko is a grey or sandy brown colour, and has an inverted "v" marking between its eyes, and have lighter stripes on the back halves of their bodies. The species grows to a length of up to from its nose to the base of its tail. The korowai gecko can be distinguished from '' Dactylocnemis pacificus'' due to separation of the nostrils and

rostral scale The rostral scale, or rostral, in snakes and other scaled reptiles is the median plate on the tip of the snout that borders the mouth opening. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: ...

, and from ''Woodworthia maculata'' due to having shorter final sections of their legs (

distal phalanges The phalanges (singular: ''phalanx'' ) are digital bones in the hands and feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the thumbs and big toes have two phalanges while the other digits have three phalanges. The phalanges are classed as long bones. ...

Geographic distribution and habitat

As of 2023, only 32 individuals are known to exist, and the species is exclusively found on the west coast of the

, New Zealand, at

, in

and on Oaia Island. Korowai gecko primarily live in sand dunes.

Auckland Council Auckland Council ( mi, Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau) is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority that has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council and so is ...

senior ecologist Melinda Rixon is concerned that

off-road Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...

vehicle access in the gecko's habitat on

may be adversely affecting the species. The species is exclusively found on the west coast of the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

, while ''Woodworthia maculata'' is found on the east coast. The two coastal species are likely separated geographically by the

Pacific gecko ''Dactylocnemis pacificus'', the Pacific gecko or Pacific sticky-toed gecko, is a species in the family Gekkonidae, endemic to the North Island and offshore islands of New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the ...

, whose range is primarily inland.

Ecology and conservation

The species is nocturnal. As of 2021 the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified the korowai gecko as Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable under the

New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some ...

Gallery

Woodworthia korowai scales.jpg, ''Woodworthia korowai'' scales found at

at the base of coastal toetoe (''

Austroderia splendens ''Austroderia'' is a genus of five species of tall grasses native to New Zealand, commonly known as toetoe.

'') Woodworthia korowai LH2445 005MM.jpg, Holotype of the korowai gecko from

Woodworthia korowai LH2445 002MM.jpg, Holotype of the korowai gecko from Auckland War Memorial Museum Woodworthia korowai LH2445 003MM.jpg, Underside view of the holotype of the korowai gecko from Auckland War Memorial Museum

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q124307511 Endemic reptiles of New Zealand Reptiles described in 2023 West Auckland, New Zealand Woodworthia Endemic biota of the Auckland Region, New Zealand