New Caledonian Giant Gecko
Rhacodactylus leachianus (Cuvier, 1829)
Range: New Caledonia (main island and smaller surrounding ones)
Habitat: Rainforest
Diet: Invertebrates, Small Vertebrates, Fruit, Nectar, Sap
Social Grouping: Solitary
Reproduction: May lay several clutches per year, each consisting of 2 eggs. Eggs hatch after 60-90 day incubation period, their sex being determined by the temperature at which they are incubated.
Lifespan: 20 Years+
Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern
- World's largest living gecko, measuring up to 36 centimeters long, including tail,, weighing 250-350 grams. Heavy-bodied with a short, stumpy tail and loose skin. Males have broader heads, more slender bodies than females. Considered an example of island gigantism
- Skin color may be green, gray, or brown, covered with white or cream-colored mottling that serves as camouflage.
- Highly arboreal. Primarily active at from dusk until dawn, but sometimes seen basking during the day. Usually shelters for the day in tree crevices
- Capable of dropping their tails when in danger and growing new ones at a later date.
- Scientific name honors the English zoologist William Elfrod Leach. Sometimes affectionately known as the Leachie
- Up to three subspecies have previously been described; today, none are considered valid
- Feared by the local Kanak people, who called it "the devil of the trees" and believed that it could steal a person's soul. Capable of making a loud growling noise when threatened.
- Declining due to habitat loss (including electrocution from power lines), as well as predation from introduced mammals, such as cats and rats. Collected illegally for the pet trade.
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