Abstract
As global biodiversity continues to decline, conservation and efficient monitoring of species is becoming more important. Effective conservation requires being able to successfully find and monitor species, which is made possible by understanding their ecology. Aspects of ecology that improve search and monitoring techniques include understanding a species activity patterns, movement patterns, and habitat use. Arboreal geckos are difficult to monitor because techniques for capturing and searching for them are restricted to areas accessible by humans. The northern striped gecko (Toropuku inexpectatus) is an arboreal gecko native to Aotearoa New Zealand, only known from one monitored population in the Coromandel Peninsula and occasional sightings. Formally described in 2020, we lack knowledge about the northern striped geckos’ ecology, activity patterns, how it moves within its habitat, and its habitat use. This knowledge gap impedes successful searching and monitoring of the species, which limits how we can protect the species from potential decline. In this research I aimed to fill knowledge gaps on the northern striped geckos’ ecology, and promote better monitoring and search techniques for the species, which is important for their conservation. I researched the geckos’ activity and movement patterns by tracking 32 individual geckos for three months using VHF radio telemetry. I investigated their home ranges, activity patterns, and the influence of environmental variables on their emergence patterns. I further analysed the objective habitat use of the northern striped gecko by comparing habitat used by tracked geckos with habitat composition at the study site. The northern striped gecko had an average home range size of 110.40m2 . A nocturnal species, the geckos’ emergence patterns were strongly influenced by temperatures at night, emerging when temperatures were >12.7°C. Additionally, gecko emergence was more likely during a new moon than during the third quarter. Using a wide variety of forest vegetation, geckos selected edge habitats and shrub-like vegetation when on the edge. When inactive during the day, and in close proximity to the forest edge, the geckos sheltered under the leaf litter on the forest floor. When away from the forest edge, geckos moved into the forest canopy and did not utilise the forest floor. I uncovered observer biases in systematic search techniques, the main technique currently used to monitor the species. Key biases included only observing geckos near forest edges and often near Parablechnum novae zelandiae. Systematic searches only captured a portion of the geckos’ distribution and habitat use, with additional biases of locating geckos in less complex vegetation compositions than their habitat preferences. Limitations in systematic searches illustrate the potential for undiscovered populations to be residing in the remote forests of the Coromandel Peninsula. Overall, my results provide a better understanding of the ecology of the northern striped gecko and when and where to find them, ultimately improving searching and monitoring of the species. The activity, movement, and habitat use of the northern striped gecko uncovered in the following pages therefore allows the improvement of the conservation of one of the most elusive geckos in Aotearoa.