The adaptable lizard of the south. A skink that lives where others struggle. Hardy's Skink is defined by a willingness to live in almost any habitat. At fourteen to eighteen centimetres in length, it is a medium-sized skink, with brown to greyish-brown colouration and pale spots and darker markings. The belly is pale cream, and the eyes are dark and watchful. A lizard that wears its spots like a map. This is a skink of the coast and the forest. Hardy's Skink is found throughout the South Island and Stewart Island, in native forests, scrublands, grasslands, coastal dunes, and rocky outcrops. It is a diurnal species, active during the day, and it basks on sun-warmed rocks and logs, soaking up the heat that will fuel its hunting. A lizard that goes where the sun is. Biologically, Hardy's Skink is a viviparous species, giving birth to live young. Females produce three to five offspring each year, a relatively high reproductive rate that allows the species to recover quickly from disturbance. The young are born in late summer and are miniature versions of the adults, independent from birth. A quick return. A short wait. Hardy's Skink is not threatened. It is widespread and common in the South Island and Stewart Island, with healthy populations throughout its range. But it is still vulnerable to predation by introduced rats, cats, and hedgehogs, and to habitat loss from land development. A survivor, but not invincible. To see a Hardy's Skink is to see a lizard that has made itself at home across the south. It is a survivor, a creature of the sun and the rock, and its spotted pattern is a reminder of the beauty of diversity. The rock is warm. The skink basks, spots dark against grey stone, watching with dark eyes. The cat prowls nearby. The skink does not see it. It just basks. That is all it can do.