[8][9] W. maculata is a small to medium-sized gecko, with an average length of 155 mm (6.1 in),[10] and has a predominant colour of grey or brown.

Further north, the species is exclusively found on the eastern Pacific coast of the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel Peninsula, Auckland Region and Northland.

[15] A study by H. Frank and DJ Wilson (2011) showed that W. maculata is also commonly found in rocky areas with cracks and crevices, without a permanent shade cover.

[16] In the Hauraki Gulf, the geckos are commonly found on stony beaches and are a smaller size, with crenulated longitudinal stripes.

[17] Populations which occupy the Cook Strait and nearby mainland's show to be a mix of the common Northern and Southern forms.

The diet of a gecko includes, but is not limited to, spiders, isopodas, moths, flies, grasshoppers and caterpillars.

In other gecko species, the tail acts as a storage organ which can hold reserves of fat which the individual can use in times of food scarcity.

[22] Most gecko species cannot digest leaves and other tough plant material easily, however W. maculata and other New Zealand gecko species feed off plant material that is easily digestible and high in energy like pollen, nectar, sap or fruit.

As of 2021, the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified the common gecko as Not Threatened under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.