[4] Much of the current research about geckos in New Zealand is built off assumptions, indicating that better surveying methods are needed to come to any real conclusions about their behaviour and ecology.

Especially unique yellow mouth colouration gives Mokopirirakau galaxias its Māori name; “Hura Te Ao”, or “reveal the world”, because of how it looks like the break of dawn.

These geckos do not have specific specialised snout lengths or bite strengths, as would be seen in herbivorous lizards, because they have an omnivorous diet.

[9] These geckos are found throughout the country, with habitats in Otago, the south of the north island of New Zealand, and various other alpine regions.

[9] Mountainous environments have caused this genus to be well-adapted to extremely cold temperatures and harsh conditions, including potential reproductive adaptations.

Most New Zealand geckos have been observed to have strong site fidelity, which means they stay in the same areas a lot of the time.

[15] Introduced mammalian predators are the main concern in conservation of Mokopirirakau geckos as they threaten a plethora of other native species.

[5] Mokopirirakau “Southern Forest” has been recorded to eat insects which indicates this genus is in fact omnivorous, just not in the same way as is assumed of most other geckos in New Zealand.

[5] Studies have reported “nocturnal” geckos actively foraging during the day, Mokopirirakau “Southern North Island” in particular.

[5] More research to supplement current knowledge about gecko activity phases is needed and would benefit not just Mokopirirakau but all of New Zealand’s reptiles.

Surveying methods have been improved through the use of trail cams rather than relying on in-person sampling which shows promise for future research.

[5] In contrast, Mokopirirakau “Southern North Island” has the highest reproductive rate of all geckos in New Zealand, which shows promise for population regeneration.