On the lookout for lizards
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Wellington green gecko, DOC
Date: 10 November 2008
On the lookout for lizards
Conservation staff on the DOC Poneke area-managed Matiu/Somes Island in Wellington Harbour are preparing for an exciting
arrival on Friday’s 10 am ferry sailing.
15 rare Wellington green geckos, seven of which have spent the last twelve months on ‘sabbatical’ at the city’s Karori
Sanctuary, are being released on the island on Friday 15 November as part of an annual translocation programme – the
largest to date.
DOC first began translocating green geckos to the island sanctuary in 2006 to create a self-sustaining population on
this predator-free island. They have been working with local lizard breeders to ensure a genetically diverse supply of
geckos for release on a yearly basis. This year, 16 lucky local school children with a special interest in conservation
have been chosen to take part in the release.
‘Establishing a safe population on Matiu/Somes will help ensure survival’, said DOC biodiversity ranger Brent Tandy.
Local lizard enthusiasts and conservation projects like Karori Sanctuary play a critical support role for DOC’s gecko
recovery programme in terms of both advocacy and breeding. One year old animals are taken to the Sanctuary for display
in a special gecko enclosure before being released on the island at two years old.
‘Having these animals on display at the Sanctuary has helped us discover a population of geckos we didn’t even know we
had’ said Sanctuary education officer Tom Lynch
‘Despite their distinctive colour, green geckos are surprisingly hard to spot. By enabling visitors to see these animals
close up, and to learn about their behaviour, we hoped our visitors could help us find out if we had a wild population.
Shortly after we established the enclosure, we got the first confirmed sighting of a green gecko in the Sanctuary Valley
for 30 years!’
The Wellington green gecko is unique to the lower North Island and is in gradual decline due to habitat loss and
predation by introduced species. Vulnerable from a range of predators including cats, hedgehogs, rats and mice, all
lizards are fully protected, which means they can be handled but not kept in captivity without permission. Mapping out
populations in the region gives DOC better understanding of where they are found and how healthy these populations are.
Do you have geckos in your garden?
The Department of Conservation would like to hear about sightings of Wellington green geckos. These animals are bright
green, often marked by two rows of yellow cream to white blotches, and the inside of their mouth is blue. Usually found
in forested areas these well-camouflaged omnivores have been found in suburbs across Wellington City and the Hutt
Valley.
There are measures people can take to offer protection for lizards in their own gardens, including planting and creating
artificial cover like rock piles or old tiles.
‘Divaricating or complex shrubs like the shrubby tororaro, matagouri or speargrasss can help protect lizards form
predators’, said DOC’s Brent Tandy.
‘Clump-forming plants such as cabbage tree, flax or swamp sedge are also good and ground covers like ferns, tussocks
and rengarenga lilies can help provide retreat.’
Sightings of green geckos should be reported to DOC’s Poneke Area Office on 04 472 5821.
ENDS