WAIKAITO TIMES (New Zealand) 17 August 05 Coromandel on lookout for lizard (Lucy Reed)
Conservationists are asking Coromandel visitors to watch out for an extremely rare lizard this summer.
The Coromandel striped gecko has been spotted only three times, the last time more than five years ago at Port Charles.
Conservation Department threatened species ecologist Leigh Marshall said Doc wanted people to keep their eyes open for the elusive gecko and was seeking sponsorship to begin another survey of the area.
The hard-to-find gecko is coloured light grey or brown, is about 80mm long, not counting its tail, and has dark stripes running down its back.
The lizards are considered an acutely threatened species, with their habitat also under threat from development and introduced species such as rats.
Lizard expert Tony Whitaker carried out surveys in 2000 following sightings in 1999 and it is hoped he could take on the project again.
Scientists find the lizards by using a torch to pick up the lizards' eye shine.
The department wants to find out more about the gecko because if it proves to be a threatened species, it could work towards restoring the health of the population.
"It's possible that the lizards may have responded to the pest control we are doing up there."
Moehau Kiwi Sanctuary project manager Pim de Monchy said hunting the lizards was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"It's frustrating when you can't find the darn things to do anything to help them," he said.
"We have got to do it (conservation work) with at least some knowledge or assumptions that it is going to work, otherwise we are wasting scarce resources."
Mr de Monchy said there were three possible options to explain why the lizards were so hard to find.
They were almost extinct, they lived in hard-to-reach places and were able to survive with very low numbers.
Any sightings of the Coromandel striped gecko should be reported to the nearest Conservation Department office.
Coromandel on lookout for lizard