These newly born common green geckos (Naultinus elegans) were incubated as eggs inside their mother, an adaptation to living in a relatively cool climate. Most gecko species in other parts of the world lay eggs. Geckos are thought to have been on New Zealand when it broke away from Gondwana, 85 million years ago. DNA research indicates that New Zealand’s 37 gecko species all evolved from a common ancestor that lived 25–35 million years ago. Since then, they have radiated into many different habitats.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
by Paddy Ryan
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