Common Name
Jewelled gecko
Scientific Name
Naultinus gemmeus
Etymology
The scientific name means 'set with gems', in reference to the markings.
Description
A small to medium sized gecko (c. 65–80 mm SVL, up to 140-170 mm total length (Jewell 2006). Dorsal and lateral surfaces usually bright green, but some males from Canterbury are coloured grey, brown or white, and females with brown flanks. Dorsal surface markings are highly variable, either a series of white or yellow diamond shaped patches or stripes down either side of the back. In Southland and Stewart Island areas only the head is strongly marked. Occasionally bright yellow specimens have been recorded. Ventral surfaces plae grey, greenish or bluish, often with longitudinal streaks, mottled in some specimens. Mouth lining and tongue colour varies between populations - lining blue, tongue bluish black (Otago), pink to dark grey with an orange tip (Canterbury). Eye olive or brown. Toe-pads narrow without expanded pads. Scales across the snout are greatly enlarged and domed in shape. Tail slender; prehensile; seldom shed. ranging from equal to considerably longer than the SVL (Jewell 2006). Sexually dichromatic populations known in Canterbury occur at least as far south as Lake Pukaki (males brown or grey, females green) but those in Otago and Southland are not (Thomas 1982, Whitaker et al 2002). There are also minor differences in morphology and colouration (Hitchmough 1997).
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.