Hidden in plain sight, discovering Waiheke’s secretive geckos
Forest Gecko
Tilde’s talks
You loved Charlie’s Chats, but now we are introducing Tilde's Talks! Tilde Sorensen, a Waiheke local and a Te Korowai o Waiheke Field Team Technician, graduated from the University of Auckland in 2022 with a Master's in bio-security and conservation, specialising in monitoring invasive and native skinks on islands. She played a key role in setting up the stoat pilot on Waiheke Island in 2016 and is currently training to become a stoat detection dog handler.
Those of us who are interested in nature will often spend our bushwalks craning our necks for a glimpse of native birds in the canopy or keeping an ear out for birdsong. However, while being so attentive to one group of animals, it is easy to miss another, often hiding in plain sight, such as mokomoko | geckos.
Geckos are cryptic creatures (naturally secretive), which means most people are unaware of just how fascinating these creatures truly are. One intriguing but little-known fact is that their feet are covered in microscopic hairs so fine that the atoms at their tips interact with the surface they touch. This interaction, known as the Van der Waals force, essentially allows them to become one with the surface, granting them an extraordinary climbing ability that seems straight out of science fiction.
Geckos also have no eyelids, so instead of blinking, they lick their eyeballs!! Finally, like many reptiles, they shed their skin as they grow and detach their tails if stressed, so a predator will eat that instead of the whole animal, clever aye!
Elegant gecko or moko kakariki
There are currently 48 known species of gecko, but it is possible that more are yet to be discovered. Geckos are masters of disguise with velvety skin that can be a brilliant green, yellow, or mottled brown and grey like lichen. They are nocturnal but, like all reptiles, need to warm up in the sun, spending their days sunning themselves while keeping close to a safe refuge. At night, they venture out to hunt insects and feed on fruit and nectar, playing a vital role as pollinators.
Like most of our native flora and fauna, our geckos have evolved in isolation since Aotearoa split from the supercontinent Gondwana about 80 million years ago. This resulted in Aotearoa’s geckos acquiring some unique characteristics, being one of the most southernmost geckos in the world. One such adaptation to cold is that they give live birth rather than laying eggs, as it would be too cold for eggs to survive. Carrying live young also means that native geckos produce fewer offspring, but individuals are longer lived (up to 53 years!). They are also able to stay active at temperatures as low as 4°C, which is impressive for a cold-blooded animal.
On Waiheke, two species are found: the brown and grey forest gecko and the green or yellow elegant gecko or moko kakariki.
If you want to help these incredible animals, there are several things you can do:
Plant berry and nectar-producing trees and allow them to form a dense canopy.
Make a gecko house by nailing a piece of yoga mat or similar to tree trunks in your garden (this will not hurt the tree), giving them a safe place to hide on the trunk.
Control rats and stoats in the area
Keep cats in at night when geckos are out and about
Don’t handle geckos, as their skin is delicate, and they will drop their tails if stressed.
If you see a gecko, do not disturb them - take a photo, and please report it to Auckland Council on 09 301 0101 so they can continue to monitor the local populations. Geckos are protected under the Wildlife Act (1953).
— Written by Tilde Sorensen