Critter of the Week: Northern Striped Gecko

Nicola Toki and Jesse discuss the northern striped gecko (Toropuku inexpectatus): a stripey, night-shift specialist found on the Coromandel Peninsula. With its long, grippy tail and secretive forest habits, this rare reptile is so elusive it was discovered only in 1997 and did not get its own species name until 2020. Now, years of patient monitoring and some very tiny radio backpacks are helping researchers uncover how it moves through native forest.