Species of lizard
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.[1] It is the only recorded vertebrate that is endemic to Tuvalu.[2][3] It has been located on Fuagea (also called Fuakea) and on Tepuka.[2][4]
Lepidodactylus tepukapili's naming is based upon the Tuvaluan language words for "small lizard" and the island of Tepuka, where specimens were first discovered.[5]
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.[6]
References
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| Lepidodactylus tepukapili | |
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