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Taxonomy of the family Diplodactylidae
Bibliography of the genus Hoplodactylus
Biodiversity of the family Diplodactylidae








Genus
Hoplodactylus

New Zealand Giant Geckos, Grey-Brown Geckos

Neuseeländische Riesengeckos, Neuseeländische Braungeckos, Aotearoa-Graugeckos

Newzealandske Kæmpegekkoer

1843 Hoplodactylus Fitzinger (type species: Platydactylus duvaucelii Dumeril & Bibron 1836)
1845 Pentadactylus Gray [not Pentadactylus Bruguière 1792 (Mollusca)] (type species: Platydactylus duvaucelii Dumeril & Bibron 1836; syn. Bauer 1994)
Contents: 2 living and 1 extinct species. Both living species are endemic.
Endemism: 0% 100%
Remarks: Previously included the species now assigned to Dactylocnemis, Mokopirirakau, Toropuku, Tukutuku, and Woodworthia.
Distribution: As for the single, surviving species, Hoplodactylus duvaucelii.


Hoplodactylus delcourti

Kawekaweau Giant Gecko, Kawekaweau

Kawekaweau-Gecko

Kawekaweau-kæmpegekko

1986 Hoplodactylus delcourti Bauer & Russell

Remarks: Recently extinct. The largest gecko ever to have lived (Nielsen, Bauer, Jackman, Hitchmough & Daugherty 2011). Known from only a single specimen of unknown exact locality, but it is probably neither a Hoplodactylus species, nor from New Zealand (Scarsbrook, Walton, Rawlence & Hitchmough 2023). Recent studies have suggested that the species is more closely related to New Caledonian geckos than to New Zealand species (Winkel, Baling & Hitchmough 2018).
Distribution: New Zealand (North Island). See remarks.


Hoplodactylus duvaucelii

Northern Giant Gecko, (New Zealand Giant Gecko, Duvaucel's Gecko)

Nördlicher Riesengecko, (Duvaucels Gecko)

Nordlig Kæmpegekko

1836 Platydactylus duvaucelii Dumeril & Bibron
Hoplodactylus duvaucelii Fitzinger 1843
Pentadactylus duvaucelii Gray 1845
Naultinus duvauceli Chrapliwy, Smith & Grant 1961
Woodworthia duvauceli Jewell 2008

Remarks: Previously included the population now assigned to tohu. Formerly widespread in the North Island, but now almost exclusively occurs on outlying islands (Jewell 2008). For some time believed to have become extinct in the North Island (e.g., Bauer 1994), however, a relict mainland population was recently discovered in the North Island (Morgan-Richards, Hinlo, Smuts-Kennedy, Innes, Ji, Barry, Brunton & Hitchmough 2016). Bavay's (1869) record from New Caledonia refers to Rhacodactylus trachyrhynchus (Bauer & Sadlier 2000).
Distribution: New Zealand (North Island [incl. outlying islands]).


Hoplodactylus tohu

Southern Giant Gecko

Südlicher Riesengecko

Sydlig Kæmpegekko

2023 Hoplodactylus tohu Scarsbrook, Walton, Rawlence & Hitchmough

Remarks: Previously regarded as a population of duvaucelii. Formerly widespread in the South Island, but now restricted to islands in the Cook Strait (Scarsbrook, Walton, Rawlence & Hitchmough 2023).
Distribution: New Zealand (Cook Strait Islands).