Although generally species of this genus cannot compete with those of Naultinus in terms of their vivid and beautiful colouration, Hoplodactylus species do have the ability to subtly change their skin colour pattern to give better camouflage, thus reducing the risk of predation.

When basking in cold conditions they can darken their skin to increase the amount of heat absorbed and conversely they can lighten the shades in hot weather to reflect more light and keep cool.

The key differences between New Zealand's two endemic gecko genera are summarised in the table below *references used for this table;[1][2] Hoplodactylus duvaucelii is the largest species of gecko remaining in New Zealand, although due to predation by introduced mammals such as the brown rat their confirmed range is at present largely restricted to pest-free offshore islands.

However, in 2010 a Duvaucel's gecko was caught in a trap near Maungatautari, indicating that there are remnant populations on the New Zealand mainland.

However, it was later shown by genetic evidence to be nested within New Caledonian geckos, warranting its placement in the separate genus Gigarcanum, meaning that it is unlikely that the specimen originated in New Zealand, and thus was probably not the kawekaweau of Maori legend.