Effect of a scrub fire on a population of Southern Alps geckos in the Mackenzie Basin
Little is known about the impacts of fire on New Zealand’s lizard fauna. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the direct impact of fire and subsequent loss of habitat are drastically negative for arboreal and grassland species. The impact of fire on saxicolous (ground-dwelling) species is less understood and difficult to presume given we understand little about the protective nature of rocky refugia and species’ reliance on fire-susceptible habitat.