''Mokopirirakau'' is a genus of

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 ...

s in the family

Diplodactylidae The Diplodactylidae are a family in the suborder Gekkota (geckos), with over 150 species in 25 genera. These geckos occur in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Diplodactylids are the most ecologically diverse and widespread family of geck ...

. ''Mokopirirakau'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. ''Mokopirirakau'', meaning "forest gecko", is derived from the Maori language.

Species

The entire genus was previously placed in the genus ''

Hoplodactylus ''Hoplodactylus'' is a genus of geckos in the family Diplodactylidae. The genus is endemic to New Zealand, one of the seven genera of geckos found only in New Zealand. ''Hoplodactylus'' comprises three species of large to gigantic brownish liza ...

''. It includes at least five species: *'' Mokopirirakau cryptozoicus'' – Takitimu gecko *''

Mokopirirakau galaxias ''Mokopirirakau galaxias'' is a species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae found in New Zealand. It is endemic to New Zealand. See also *Geckos of New Zealand Dozens of species of geckos are found in New Zealand. The number of species is ...

'' *'' Mokopirirakau granulatus'' – forest gecko *'' Mokopirirakau kahutarae'' – black-eyed gecko *'' Mokopirirakau nebulosus'' – cloudy gecko Greater diversity within the genus is expected to emerge from research, including the following populations. *''Mokopirirakau'' "cupola", the Cupola gecko * ''Mokopirirakau'' "Roys Peak", found in

Central Otago Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference". The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...

and

Queenstown-Lakes district Queenstown-Lakes District, a local government district, is in the Otago Region of New Zealand that was formed in 1986. It is surrounded by the districts of Central Otago, Southland, Westland and Waitaki. Much of the area is often referred to a ...

* ''Mokopirirakau'' "Ōkārito", found in

Westland Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila ...

References

Lizard genera Taxa named by Stuart V. Nielsen Taxa named by Aaron M. Bauer Taxa named by Todd R. Jackman Taxa named by Rod A. Hitchmough Taxa named by Charles H. Daugherty {{Diplodactylidae-stub