Abstract
Context: Globally, impacts of wildfire on fauna populations and our knowledge of these impacts, vary considerably. Information regarding wildfire effects on Aotearoa’s terrestrial fauna is meagre but interest in this topic is increasing alongside anthropogenic climate change.
Aims: We undertook the first ecological study of a sub-alpine green gecko population (the jewelled gecko; Naultinus gemmeus) in the Lammermoor Range. In November 2019, a large wildfire burnt through our study site, providing an opportunity to examine how N. gemmeus fares after wildfires.
Methods: Through field surveys (2015−2025) and a radio-telemetry study we examined how N. gemmeus used habitat in a sub-alpine environment. We also assessed the impacts of the fire on N. gemmeus.
Key results: Coastal populations of N. gemmeus are considered primarily arboreal; however, our study revealed that the Lammermoor Range population is terrestrial, occupying snow tussock (Chionochloa rigida) and associated plants. Population surveys during the weeks after the fire had a higher sightings rate than before the fire, likely reflecting increased detectability. Subsequent surveys indicated a sharp decline in N. gemmeus sightings, with none occurring during eight surveys between 2022 and 2024. Eventually, a surviving gecko was located in October 2025.
Conclusions: After the fire, the complexity of the habitat and the ability of the geckos to camouflage was significantly reduced, and this may have contributed to population decline.
Implications: Translocation of surviving green geckos to safer habitats after a fire may be an appropriate conservation action, as green geckos may struggle to evade introduced predators in a decimated landscape.