The rock is warm. 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. Brown to greyish-brown colouration features pale spots and darker markings. Belly is pale cream. Eyes are dark and watchful. A lizard that wears its spots like a map. Oligosoma hardyi is a skink of the coast and the forest. Found throughout the South Island and Stewart Island, in native forests, scrublands, grasslands, coastal dunes, and rocky outcrops. A diurnal species, active during the day. It basks on sun-warmed rocks and logs, soaking up heat that fuels its hunting. A lizard that goes where the sun is. Tolerates salt spray in coastal areas. Biologically, Hardy's Skink is viviparous, giving birth to live young. Females produce three to five offspring each year. A relatively high reproductive rate that allows species to recover quickly from disturbance. Young are born in late summer and are miniature versions of adults. Independent from birth. A quick return. A short wait. Not threatened. Widespread and common in South Island and Stewart Island with healthy populations throughout range. But still vulnerable to predation by introduced rats, cats, and hedgehogs. Habitat loss from land development compounds pressure. A survivor, but not invincible. Climate change affects coastal and lowland habitats. 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. 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.