Mokopirirakau
| Mokopirirakau | |
|---|---|
| Forest gecko (M. granulatus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Mokopirirakau Nielsen, Bauer, Jackman, Hitchmough & Daugherty, 2011 |
Mokopirirakau is a genus of geckos that are endemic to New Zealand. They range from arboreal species that live in forest trees down to the coastline, to terrestrial species that live on rocky ground in the alpine zone, and species that live in both habitats. They are spread throughout the country.
The genus was erected in 2011, when the New Zealand geckos were reorganised into seven genera based on DNA sequencing; the then scientifically described Mokopirirakau species had previously been in the Hoplodactylus genus. There are thought to be eleven species, but only five have been scientifically described so far.