Our recent trip to a field site near Macraes on New Zealand’s South Island revealed unusual but stunning evidence of polydactyly (having more toes or digits than the standard dactyl number) in a rock‐dwelling gecko (Woodworthia sp), commonly known as the Otago/Southland or korero gecko. Active both diurnally and nocturnally, these geckos inhabit schist tors (rocky outcrops) among tussock grasslands. As with many other gecko species, the undersides of their clawed toes feature adhesive pads, adapted for grasping surfaces during locomotion and climbing.

This gecko’s additional digits may be offshoots from an existing toe bone (without an additional metacarpal) or may originate from a separately formed metacarpal bone. Polydactyly is common in mammals (including humans), birds, and amphibians, but rare in reptiles. Most lizards, including most geckos, have five toes. Discovering seven toes on the right forelimb of this Otago/Southland gecko (an adult male) may suggest a developmental abnormality. These extra toes are shorter than a typical first toe, but all have claws, as expected. However, whether the extra toes provide any benefit remains unknown.

我们最近到新西兰南岛Macraes附近的一处野外旅行时发现，在壁虎壁虎（Woodworthia sp）（通常被称为奥塔哥/南国或科雷罗壁虎。这些壁虎在白天和夜间都活跃，它们栖息在草丛草地中的片岩（岩石露头）上。与其他许多壁虎一样，它们的爪状脚趾底面也设有粘合垫，适合在运动和攀爬过程中抓住表面。

壁虎的其他手指可能是来自现有脚趾骨的分支（没有额外的掌骨），也可能源自单独形成的掌骨。多指在哺乳动物（包括人类），鸟类和两栖动物中很常见，但在爬行动物中很少见。大多数蜥蜴，包括大多数壁虎，都有五个脚趾。在奥塔哥/南国壁虎（成年男性）的右前肢发现七个脚趾可能表明发育异常。这些多余的脚趾比典型的第一脚趾要短，但正如预期的那样，它们都有爪子。然而，额外的脚趾是否提供任何益处仍是未知的。