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NZ Gecko

Here in NZ we have over 44 species of geckos, some of which you can only find right here in Marlborough.

Including the very special Marlborough Green Gecko or manuka gecko,(Naultinus manukanus). Below are some fun facts that make our NZ Geckos special.

Gecko Facts

Spot a Gecko

There are a few ways you can spot the difference between a Gecko and a Skink. Gekco's have loose fitting skin when compared to a skink.

Geckos have broad heads with rounded snouts and large bulging eyes.

They also have soft velvety-looking skin, where a skinks skin is tight and shiny.

Climbing

Geckos have 'Sticky Feet" they have toe pads that are covered in 1000's of microscopic hairs called Setae.

These hairs create an electromagnetic attraction called van der Waals forces. This is what allows them to climb up walls and surfaces.

Food

New Zealand Geckos are omnivores, their main diet consists of insects such as moths, flies, small crickets, larvae, etc. However, they also eat some berries and the nectar of some flowers

Breeding

NZ Geckos are very slow breeders, they normally only breed once a year. Some species only breed once every two years.

One of the things that makes our NZ Geckos special is that they give birth to live young, not eggs. Most of our NZ Geckos only give birth to one off spring at a time, on occasion a Gecko might have twins.

Eyes

Geckos can not blink, they have transparent like eyelids that are are fused together. They have to lick their eyes with their spoon like tongue to keep them from drying out.

Can you reach your eyes with you tongue?

Gecko Activates

Here are some fun activates and resources you can explore at home with your whanau or friends. Some of these resources have been put together with the help of some our fantastic local organisations. A huge thank you to those people who have helped put these together for us, we appreciate your support.