Mokopirirakau

Mokopirirakau
Forest gecko (M. granulatus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Diplodactylidae
Genus: Mokopirirakau
Nielsen, Bauer, Jackman, Hitchmough & Daugherty, 2011

The Mokopirirakau genus comprises alpine geckos found only in New Zealand. The name is Māori, and comes from “Moko”, referring to lizards, and “pirirakau”, which refers to forests.[1][2] This is a newly recognized genus as it was previously included in the Hoplodactylus genus.[3] Many of the species within this genus are still at candidatus status (are yet to be formally classified) because of this, but also because of the difficulty that comes with researching these species and this genus in particular.[4] Much of the current research about geckos in New Zealand is built off assumptions, indicating that better surveying methods are needed to come to any real conclusions about their behaviour and ecology.[5]

  1. ^ Roberts, Mere (2012-12-01). "Mind maps of the Maori". GeoJournal. 77 (6): 741–751. Bibcode:2012GeoJo..77..741R. doi:10.1007/s10708-010-9383-5. ISSN 1572-9893.
  2. ^ Harris, Richard J.; Burns, Bruce R. (2000). "Beetle assemblages of kahikatea forest fragments in a pasture-dominated landscape". New Zealand Journal of Ecology. 24 (1): 57–67. ISSN 0110-6465. JSTOR 24054651.
  3. ^ Nielsen, Stuart V.; Bauer, Aaron M.; Jackman, Todd R.; Hitchmough, Rod A.; Daugherty, Charles H. (2011-04-01). "New Zealand geckos (Diplodactylidae): Cryptic diversity in a post-Gondwanan lineage with trans-Tasman affinities". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 59 (1): 1–22. Bibcode:2011MolPE..59....1N. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.12.007. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 21184833.
  4. ^ Hitchmough, Rodney A.; Patterson, Geoffrey B.; Chapple, David G. (2016), Chapple, David G. (ed.), "Putting a Name to Diversity: Taxonomy of the New Zealand Lizard Fauna", New Zealand Lizards, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 87–108, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41674-8_4, ISBN 978-3-319-41674-8, retrieved 2024-10-14
  5. ^ Romijn, Rl; Nelson, Nj; Monks, Jm (2014-04-03). "Forest geckos ( Mokopirirakau 'Southern North Island') display diurno-nocturnal activity and are not reliant on retreats". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 41 (2): 103–113. doi:10.1080/03014223.2013.860041. ISSN 0301-4223.