KAWEKAWEAU (DELCOURT'S GIANT GECKO)

The Kawekaweau was the largest member of the gecko family that lived in New Zealand.  It was nearly 24 inches long, which is about twice as large as any other gecko species ever known.  It was the width of a man's wrist and had reddish stripes running the length of its body. Scientists thought that the Kawekaweau was simply a legend for a long time.

 The name Delcourt comes from the French scientist who rediscovered the only known specimen of of the Kawekaweau in the Natural History Museum of Marseille in 1986.

 The last recorded living Kawekaweau was in 1870 by a Maori chief.  It is thought that the arrival of Europeans and the invasive species they brought; rats, cats, and weasels took their toll on the Kawekaweau.

 Additional Resources:

http://gizmodo.com/this-specimen-of-an-extinct-giant-gecko-was-found-in-a-1742435773


Drawing from the book, A Gap in Nature


The only known specimen of a Kawekaweau


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