NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Rhacodactylus willihenkeli Köhler, Sameit, Seipp & Geiss, 2024
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
Rhacodactylus willihenkeli, also known as Willi's giant geckos, are a species first identified in 2023. Four live specimens were caught in 1987 in a forested area of New Caledonia by Friedrich Wilhelm Henkel and Joachim Sameit. They kept the geckos in a terrarium. Three of the four original specimens were still alive in 2023 when DNA analysis conclusively determined them to be a unique species. These individuals bred while in captivity on multiple occasions. The females would lay approximately 6–8 eggs a year which would then hatch about 90 days later. These eggs were not laid all at once but in three to four intervals throughout the year. Their full adult size is one foot long. The species is most genetically similar to Rhacodactylus leachianus but has different colouration.
Wikipedia contributors, Rhacodactylus willihenkeli; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T14:49:33.135183+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Rhacodactylus willihenkeli Köhler, Sameit, Seipp & Geiss, 2024
- Name authority
- Köhler, Sameit, Seipp & Geiss, 2024
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Diplodactylidae
- Genus
- Rhacodactylus
- 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
- genusRhacodactylus
- speciesRhacodactylus willihenkeli Köhler, Sameit, Seipp & Geiss, 2024
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Rhacodactylus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Rough-snouted Giant GeckoRhacodactylus trachyrhynchus Bocage, 1873 | DiplodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| New Caledonia Bumpy GeckoRhacodactylus auriculatus (Bavay, 1869) | DiplodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| New Caledonia Giant GeckoRhacodactylus leachianus (Cuvier, 1829) | DiplodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Tough-snouted Giant GeckoRhacodactylus trachycephalus (Boulenger, 1878) | DiplodactylidaeChordata | 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.
- KÖHLER, G., SAMEIT, J., SEIPP, R., & GEISS, K. (2024). A new species of giant gecko of the genus Rhacodactylus from New Caledonia (Squamata, Gekkota, Diplodactylidae). Zootaxa 5538(4), 301-321. 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:V23Y6. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.