After five years of tracking it down in remote ranges, researchers have discovered a new “beautiful” looking species of gecko, which is about double the size you would normally find in your house.

While most geckos have dark eyes, the silver-eyed velvet gecko is distinguished by its shiny eye colour and a pattern on its back and slender tail.

Dr Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University said the “significant discovery” was made in the sandstone gorges at the Gregory Range, a few hours west of Townsville.

“The discovery of any new vertebrate species in Australia in this day and age is really significant because Australia is pretty well surveyed,” he said.

“So finding a new, spectacular gecko is really significant,” he said.

The silver-eyed velvet gecko has a distinctive pattern on its back. Photo: Stephen Zozaya

Dr Hoskin described the gecko as “beautiful”.

“It’s really beautiful, with pink and yellow bands. It is pretty and big,” he said.

“I would say it is about twice the size of the Asian house geckos you would find in your house which is quite slender, whereas these ones are much chunkier.”

Asian house geckos are one of the most successful invasive species in Australia, and biologists have recently raised concerns they’re spreading from suburbia into bushland.

The gecko has only been found in the Gregory Range and Bulleringa National Park in central north-Queensland. Photo: Stephen Zozaya

The new gecko is the first reptile known to be local to the Gregory Range, which Dr Hoskin said is relatively unknown.

He said it has probably been sighted before but has been assumed to be one of the others similar species.

“I don’t think many people would come into contact with them day to day,” he said.

The silver-eyed velvet gecko also has slender tail different to other geckos. Photo: Dr Conrad Hoskin

Dr Hoskin said the gecko didn’t face many threats, but more surveys were needed to learn more about it.

“They eat anything they can fit in their mouth. Lots of insects, spiders, and some baby geckos,” he said.

The geckos are typically found at night foraging on sandstone cliff faces and pavements but have also been found on small, thin trees and emerging from narrow rock crevices at dusk.

–ABC