Tukutuku rakiurae
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The harlequin gecko (Tukutuku rakiurae), formerly Hoplodactylus rakiurae, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Stewart Island / Rakiura in the far south of New Zealand, where it was discovered in 1969. In terms of distribution it is one of the southernmost gecko species in the world.
The generic name, Tukutuku, refers to the Māori ornamental lattice work called tukutuku, which the dorsal pattern of this species resembles. The specific name, rakiurae, refers to Rakiura, the Māori name for Stewart Island.
The preferred habitats of T. rakiurae are shrubland and wetlands. T. rakiurae is viviparous. The harlequin gecko has been assessed as Endangered by the IUCN since 2018, owing to its rarity, small range and declining population. Stewart Island is overrun with invasive predators such as cats (Felis domesticus) and rats (Rattus rattus, R. exulans, and R. norvegicus), which have also contributed to declines among native bird species. Like other New Zealand geckos, harlequin geckos breed and develop very slowly, with a female giving birth to only one offspring... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
No species of the same family or order lives in Rakiura National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Harlequin Gecko sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 9 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.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Harlequin Gecko in Rakiura National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April, June–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Harlequin Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Rakiura National Park, in our data
Rakiura National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Harlequin 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 Harlequin Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Rakiura National Park (9 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.
