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Story: Lizards

Duvaucel's gecko

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Duvaucel's gecko

Duvaucel's gecko (Hoplodactylus duvaucelii) is the largest New Zealand gecko. The largest recorded specimens are 16 centimetres long and weigh 120 grams. They live in rocky or forested areas on offshore islands north of Cook Strait, and are nocturnal. Bones found on the North and South islands indicate that this species, like many other endemic lizards, was once much more widely distributed on the mainland.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10039929

by Chris Smuts-Kennedy

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How to cite this page

Kerry-Jayne Wilson, Lizards – Appearance and life cycle, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13519/duvaucels-gecko (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerry-Jayne Wilson, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 March 2014.