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| Crested Giant Gecko, Rhacodactylus ciliatus (Guichenot, 1866). Photograph of a captive raised animal. Adult body length reaches 130 mm, It is known only from New Caledonia and some of its satellite islands. Habitat is humid forests from sea level to 900 m, and it is frequently found on low growing shrubs or small trees. |
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| Leach's Giant Gecko, Rhacodactylus leachianus (Cuvier, 1829). Photograph of a captive animal. Adult body size reaches 225 mm, and it has a very short tail (about 30% of the body). It is found on New Caledonia, the Isle of Pines and some of its satellites. It occurs in humid forests from sea level to at least 1100 m, and is a canopy dweller. It feeds on insects, lizards, and birds but seems to prefer fruit. The species is very vocal and produces barks and whistles. Eggs are laid in a nest on the ground. |
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| The Southwest Pacific Gecko family is composed of about 16 genera and 110 species. They form the sister group to the snake-like Flap Foots, the Pygopodidae. Like most other geckos they have remnant eyelids and a clear, immovable spectacle that covers their eye ball, and they clean the eye scale with their tongue. The members of this family lay eggs with soft shells. As the common name indicates they are restricted to the Southwest Pacific with members in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. |
