Description:

A small relatively gracile species of gecko growing to a body length of 40mm. It has moderately broad toes. The colour pattern on the body is highly variable ranging from mid brown above with a broad lighter brown median region defined at the sides by a thin pale dorsolateral stripe either side of the body to a more poorly defined pattern where the body colour is almost uniformly light brown with a series of pale dorsolateral spots defining a marginally paler median region above.

Natural distribution:

Known only from Sommet Poum in the far north of the island.

Distribution within Province Nord: see above.

Habitat:

Closed forest patches.

Threats:

• potentially extremely high level of threat with high infestation levels of introduced fire ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) in closed forest habitat causing significant declines in abundance of lizards.

• potentially high level of threat to closed forest habitat through activities associated with mining leading to a decline in area, extent and quality habitat.

• potentially high level of threat to closed forest habitat from firing of adjacent maquis shrubland, leading to a decline in area, extent and quality of forest habitat.

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Dierogekko inexpectatus has an extremely restricted distribution (<100km2). The summit area of Sommet Poum has been extensively impacted by mining activity, and the small areas of closed forest habitat on the summit ridge are infested with Little Red Fire Ants and are threatened by proposed mining activities. The species has been identified as highly threatened (Bauer et al., 2006) and to meet the criteria to be categorised as Critically Endangered.

*Species restricted to closed forest habitat surrounded by maquis shrubland are highly susceptible to catastrophic impact of wildfires, and require pro-active conservation management to deal with this potential threat.