About
The Poum Striped Gecko is endemic to Province Nord, where it is only known from the Poum massif. It has a species range of only 18 km2!
The Poum Striped Gecko is part of the Diplodactylidae family of geckos, which diverged from all other families around 73 million years ago, around the time when humans and slow lorises shared a common ancestor.
The Poum Striped Gecko is locally abundant at some sites where good habitat remains, but it is very sensitive to habitat loss and degradation. There is currently a plan to mine the entire plateau of the Poum massif for nickel which would lead to 25% of the current habitat for this species being lost.
The introduction of ungulates and also invasive ants are expected to have a detrimental impact on the geckos as they are known to decimate lizard populations and lead to localized extinctions. Introduced feral cats and rodents also pose a major threat as they predate heavily on geckos.
This species is protected in Province Nord under Code de l’environnement de la Province Nord. However, no currently species specific conservation measures are taking place and this species is not present in any protected areas.
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Gekkonidae
- Population: Locally abundant
- Trend: decreasing
- Size: 39.5mm
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is found in Province Nord, New Caledonia, at elevations between 10 and 415 meters above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology
This species lives rocky maquis shrublands and low, closed-forest remnants. It is nocturnal and arboreal (tree dwelling), sheltering beneath stones by day and climbing into the vegetation at night.