Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko is a beautiful lizard found throughout the Ryukyu Islands. It is currently listed endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species. This lizard is decreasing in numbers due to poaching, deforestation, and the threat of feral cats. The lizard is high valued in the illegal pet trade market and needs to protected. This is one of my favorite reptiles to photograph on my night adventures in Okinawa.
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- Scientific name: Goniurosaurus kuroiwae
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- Distribution: Okinawa Islands
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- Habitat: Leaf littered forests
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- Diet: Worms and insects
- Average Size: 110mm -130mm
Shawn Miller Featured- Wildlife As Canon Sees. National Geographic October 2017
Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller
This is the first ground gecko I photographed in 2010. I found it under a piece of carpet in Onna Village. Illegal dumping is a huge problem in Okinawa.
1st Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller
In the daytime, they live in caves, crevices, and holes in the ground
Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller
They come out to feed at night.
Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller
When they feel threatened they will stand up on all fours and try to intimate you with a stare down.
Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller
They have some strange looking feet –
Ryukyu Ground gecko © Shawn Miller
When I approached this ground gecko it stayed in place. I found three Mosquitoes sucking the blood right out of it. the first time I observed mosquitoes on a lizard.
Ryukyu Blood suckers © Shawn Miller
The juveniles have vibrant orange stripes down the back and rings around their tails.
Juvenile ground gecko
Juvenile ground gecko
This beautiful Goniurosaurus kuroiwae orientalis was photographed on Ie Island.
Goniurosaurus kuroiwae orientalis
A wide-angle macro perspective of a ground gecko in central Okinawa.
Ground gecko -Wide angle macro © Shawn Miller
The Banded ground gecko (Goniurosaurus splendens) is endemic to the Island of Tokunoshima. It is designated as a living natural monument in Kagoshima prefecture.
Banded Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller
Toyama’s ground gecko (Goniurosaurus toyami) is endemic to Iheya Island. It is currently listed as critically endangered.
Toyama’s ground gecko © Shawn Miller
Pay attention to crossing wildlife!
Kuroiwa’s ground gecko -endangered species © Shawn Miller
Kuroiwa’s ground gecko top view © Shawn Miller
My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands
This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link
Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.
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