Common Name
Black-eyed gecko
Scientific Name
Mokopirirakau kahutarae
Etymology
Named after the type location, where the type specimen was found. Known by the tag name during 1970-1985, since then as H. kahutarae.
Description
The large and totally black eyes with prominent 'eyebrows' are unique to this species. A large gecko (75-91 mm SVL, 180 mm total length) with six or seven light to dark olive-grey body, paler bands or chevron-markings across dorsum. Ventral surface silvery grey. Mouth lining and tongue pink or orange. Toes long and narrow, without distinctly enlarged pads; enlarged apical plates absent from all toes. Tail equal or slightly longer than SVL. Light to dark olive grey with paler bands or chevron markings, and undersurface uniform grey. Eyes totally black. Mouth lining pink or orange, tongue fleshy-pink to orange.Size between 75-91 mm SVL. Tail equal or slightly longer than SVL (Whitaker 1984, Jewell 2008)
Photo and information from Landcare Research’s NZ Lizards Database.
SVL = Snout-to-Vent Length. A convention in describing the length of lizards is to measure from the tip of the snout to the vent, the opening through which the animal defecates. The vent is at the base of the tail, and thus the tail is not included in the length.
Logging Etiquette. To log a cache as per Geocaching.com’s Geocaching 101, under the LEARN tab, means that the logbook has to be signed. See step 7 of ‘How is the game is played?’ and Rule 2 of ‘What are the rules of geocaching?’. This does not mean leaving little scraps of paper, calling cards or stickers, etc, as a means of signing and these will be removed if found in the cache. If you have not signed the logbook your log will be deleted without any further warning.
The cache is a 400ml Sistema.