NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Lepidodactylus tepukapili Zug, Watling, Alefaio, Alefaio & Ludescher, 2003
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Top view of the gecko species Lepidodactylus tepukapili
Welch, Jenna L. · CC0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
Lepidodactylus tepukapili is a species of gecko, which is known as the Tuvalu forest gecko and is known in the Tuvaluan language as moko or pili. It is the only recorded vertebrate that is endemic to Tuvalu. It has been located on Fuagea (also called Fuakea) and on Tepuka.
Lepidodactylus tepukapili's naming is based upon the Tuvaluan language words for "small lizard" and the island of Tepuka, where specimens were first discovered.
In 2021, the IUCN published its assessment of the Tuvalu forest gecko, classifying it as Critically Endangered due to the ongoing threat of sea-level rise, as related to anthropogenic climate change. The two small low-lying islands on which it occurs average just 2 metres above sea level. IUCN Red List.
Wikipedia contributors, Lepidodactylus tepukapili; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T14:34:20.432858+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Lepidodactylus tepukapili Zug, Watling, Alefaio, Alefaio & Ludescher, 2003
- Name authority
- Zug, Watling, Alefaio, Alefaio & Ludescher, 2003
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Gekkonidae
- Genus
- Lepidodactylus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderGekkota
- familyGekkonidae
- genusLepidodactylus
- speciesLepidodactylus tepukapili Zug, Watling, Alefaio, Alefaio & Ludescher, 2003
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Lepidodactylus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Scaly-toed GeckoLepidodactylus aureolineatus Taylor, 1915 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Lepidodactylus buleli Ineich, 2008 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Eua Scaly-toed GeckoLepidodactylus euaensis Gibbons & Brown, 1988 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Negros Scaly-toed GeckoLepidodactylus herrei Taylor, 1923 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Christmas Island Chained GeckoLepidodactylus listeri (Boulenger, 1889) | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Common Smooth-Scaled GeckoLepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bibron, 1836) | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| New Guinea Scaly-toed GeckoLepidodactylus novaeguineae Brown & Parker, 1977 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Lepidodactylus oligoporus Buden, 2007 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Lepidodactylus oorti (Kopstein, 1926) | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Oriental Scaly-toed GeckoLepidodactylus orientalis Brown & Parker, 1977 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Mindanao Scaly-toed GeckoLepidodactylus planicaudus Stejneger, 1905 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Wild Scaly-toed GeckoLepidodactylus pulcher Boulenger, 1885 | GekkonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Lepidodactylus&species=tepukapili Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3TBPL. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.