Cook Island Reptiles

The Cook Islands, low coral atolls located in the South Pacific about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, are home to about 20 reptile species, native and imported.

  1. Facts

    • No inshore sea snakes exist on the Cook Islands, but yellow-bellied sea snakes, which live in the open ocean, have become stranded on beaches in Aitutaki. While they are extremely poisonous, they are not aggressive, according to Cook Islands Biodiversity and Natural Heritage.

    Types of Native Species

    • Loggerheads are one of three native turtle species on the Cook Islands.

      The Cook Islands are home to 10 "native terrestrial reptiles, none of which are endemic," according to the World Wildlife Fund. These include three turtle species, loggerhead, green, and hawksbill.

    Types of Non-Native Species

    • Eight gecko species inhabit the Cook Islands. Six of these are definitely non-native. Some arrived with the Polynesians. One species, the house gecko, arrived in the 1980s, according to Gerald McCormack, director of the Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust. There are six non-native skinks.

    Features

    • Geckos are nocturnal, but may still be seen during the day. "Of our eight gecko species, three have a voice," states McCormack, "Our loudest gecko, the house gecko (hemidactylus frenatus), has a very loud 'chi-chi-chi-chi-chi' call."

    Identification

    • Skinks are diurnal lizards that are usually seen "sunbathing" or hunting for insects on the Cook Islands. The moth skink can be identified by a "yellow diamond on its neck which extends as a stripe," according to McCormack.

    Invasive Species

    • The red-eared slider turtle is a land and freshwater species that lives in wetland ponds. It was introduced to the Cook Islands in 1992. According to the Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, it is considered a potentially invasive species.