Woodworthia maculata
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Woodworthia maculata, also known as the New Zealand common gecko or Raukawa gecko, is a species in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to New Zealand. The species was first mentioned by John Edward Gray in 1845 as Naultinus maculatus. Gray's mention lacked a description and referenced manuscript notes, so it is unclear if Gray considered N. maculatus to be a synonym of Naultinus pacificus. The first formal description of the species was written by George Albert Boulenger in 1885, which he described as Hoplodactylus maculatus. Its status as a distinct species was undetermined until 1977. The species was first described as a member of the genus Woodworthia (as Woodworthia maculatus) by herpetologist Tony R. Jewell in A Photographic Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of New Zealand (2008), a distinction that was supported by phylogenetic analysis of New Zealand gecko species.
The specific name maculata means "speckled", referring to the speckled pattern seen on this species. W. maculata is a small to medium-sized gecko, with an average length of 155 mm (6.1 in), and has a predominant colour of grey or brown. The eyes are a greenish brown, with... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orana Wildlife Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common gecko sighting in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, May and December–January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common gecko in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to September, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Abel Tasman National Park, in our data
Abel Tasman National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Common gecko sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Abel Tasman National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
