Rhacodactylus leachianus
Overview
 
The New Caledonian Giant Gecko or Leach's Giant Gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus), is a large species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

 first described by Georges Cuvier
Georges Cuvier
Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...

 in 1829. It is often commonly referred to as a Leachie gecko (plural Leachies). It is the largest of the Rhacodactylus
Rhacodactylus
Rhacodactylus is a genus of medium to large geckos of the subfamily Diplodactylinae. All species in this genus are found on the islands that make up New Caledonia....

gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

s. At 14 inches (360 mm) total length, it is the largest extant gecko in the world and is considered an example of island gigantism
Island gigantism
Island gigantism or insular giantism is a biological phenomenon in which the size of animals isolated on an island increases dramatically in comparison to their mainland relatives....

.
 
x
OK