Focused on Lizard Conservation in Taranaki

Want to help lizards in Taranaki?

The native lizards of New Zealand sometimes called ngārara, karara or mokomoko, include geckos, skinks and tuatara. Sadly all of them are under real threat from predators and are disapperating from the mainland. With your help though we can figure out how many are still clinging on and how we can all protect them. Unlike lots of other rare and endanged animals in New Zealand. You can often even find them in your back garden if you look carefully, and make a real difference in helping protect them.

Click on the project links below to see what you, your school or your neighbourhood can do!

Backyard Conservation

Learn all about the things you can do in your own back garden to protect the geckos and skinks that live there. There is so much you can do to help even if the live in town.

Gecko Detectives Survey

Have you seen a lizard, want to be a Gecko Detective? Then get involved in the Taranaki lizard survey on iNaturalist. We need lots of eyes around the region to look for these endangered species

Goldstripe Genetics Project

We need help with and exciting project in the region to map out the spread of the Goldstripe Gecko. If your cat has caught one you to can get involved and help

Taranaki's mokomoko

Taranaki has an amazingly rich lineup of native lizards, with both geckos and skinks turning up from the coastal fringe through wetlands/shrublands and into forest and grassland habitats. Many of the region’s species are considered at risk or threatened, so predator pressure (cats, rats, mustelids) and habitat loss are ongoing challenges.

Native geckos recorded for Taranaki include goldstripe gecko (Woodworthia chrysosiretica), Pacific gecko (Dactylocnemis pacificus), forest gecko (Mokopirirakau granulatus), plus green geckos like barking (Naultinus punctatus) and elegant (Naultinus elegans).
Native skinks recorded for Taranaki include copper skink (Oligosoma aeneum), ornate skink (O. ornatum), northern grass skink (O. polychroma), brown skink (O. zelandicum), striped skink (O. striatum), and Kupe skink (Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum).

Conservation notes (practical takeaway): reducing predators (especially cats, rats, stoats) and keeping/creating dense ground or shrub cover can make a big difference for local populations.

There are some pretty big threats to lizards in Taranaki!

Who we are:

We are the Taranaki Lizard Network which was formed by Taranaki's Lizard Group, which is the local branch of the New Zealand Herpetological Society. We realized that mokomoko throughout the region are disappearing fast so we are helping to bring Iwi, hapu, conservation groups and other organizations together to make a real change for lizard conservation in Taranaki. If you want to get involved then get in touch at taranaki.lizard.network@rapanui.nz

Want more information?

Go to the New Zealand Herpetological Society website where you can learn more about them and even about how you can get on the journey to be permitted to keep them by clicking the link above.

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