Elegant Gecko

The elegant gecko is a bright green arboreal gecko native to the North Island and nearby islands. Its green back is patterned with pale spots, stripes or chevrons; the mouth lining is blue and the tongue can be dark.

It occurs from Northland south through much of the North Island in native shrubs and forest canopy. It is active by day among foliage and eats insects, nectar and fruit, giving birth to live young.

Elegant gecko is At Risk — Declining (NZ Threat Classification); habitat loss and introduced mammalian predators affect populations. Sunlit native shrubs in predator-managed North Island reserves offer the best chance of a glimpse.