NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Cloudy gecko
Mokopirirakau nebulosus (Mccann, 1955)
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.
Open encyclopedia reference
The cloudy gecko (Mokopirirakau nebulosus) is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. It is found on Stewart Island and its outlying islands. It is both arboreal and terrestrial, living in lowland forest, scrub and shrubs, and also in rocky areas, typically in cold, wet, exposed places.
Cloudy geckos were considered to be forest geckoes (Mokopirirakau granulatus) until they were described as a separate species in 1955, at which time they were placed in the Heteropholis genus. Their appearance is very similar in pattern and colour to the forest gecko, however, there is usually more green and brown rather than grey, and the pattern is less distinct. The inside of the mouth is yellow to bright orange.
Wikipedia contributors, Cloudy gecko; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:55:58.179444+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mokopirirakau nebulosus (Mccann, 1955)
- Name authority
- (Mccann, 1955)
- Common name
- Cloudy gecko
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Diplodactylidae
- Genus
- Mokopirirakau
- 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
- familyDiplodactylidae
- genusMokopirirakau
- speciesMokopirirakau nebulosus (Mccann, 1955)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Mokopirirakau. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Forest geckoMokopirirakau granulatus (Gray, 1845) | DiplodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Takitimu geckoMokopirirakau cryptozoicus (Jewell & Leschen, 2004) | DiplodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Black-eyed GeckoMokopirirakau kahutarae (Whitaker, 1985) | DiplodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Heteropholis nebulosus Mccann, 1955 Mccann, 1955 | synonym |
| Naultinus greyii Knox, 1870 Knox, 1870 | ambiguous synonym |
| Naultinus versicolor Colenso, 1885 Colenso, 1885 | ambiguous synonym |
| Naultinus brevidactylus Gray, 1845 Gray, 1845 | ambiguous synonym |
| Naultinus granulatus Gray, 1845 Gray, 1845 | ambiguous synonym |
| Naultinus maculatus Gray, 1845 Gray, 1845 | ambiguous synonym |
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=Mokopirirakau&species=nebulosus 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. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
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:43V7L. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.