sinbad skink found only in a single Fiordland valley

Size
Length: 20–24 cm
Lifespan
15–20 years
Diet
Insectivorous - feeds on insects, spiders, wētā, and other small invertebrates. Also eats fruit and berries when available. A diurnal skink that basks in the sun on rocks and logs. Active during the day, particularly in the morning and late afternoon.
Habitat
Montane forests and subalpine scrublands in a narrow valley surrounded by steep mountains. Prefers habitats with plenty of rocks and logs for basking, and dense vegetation for cover. Often found in the subcanopy, where it is protected from the wind and rain.
Range
New Zealand - found only in the Sinbad Valley in Fiordland, a remote and rugged valley in the heart of the Southern Alps. One of the most restricted ranges of any New Zealand lizard, confined to a single valley.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Habitat loss from climate change is the primary threat, as warming temperatures reduce its montane habitat. Also threatened by predation from introduced rats, stoats, and cats, and by the spread of invasive weeds. Classified as Nationally Critical, with fewer than 500 individuals remaining.
Population
One of New Zealand's rarest and most restricted lizards, found only in the Sinbad Valley in Fiordland. The Sinbad Skink has dark brown to greyish-brown colouration with pale flecks and stripes, and a pale belly. It is a diurnal skink, active during the day, and can often be seen basking on rocks or logs in the remote Sinbad Valley.
Conservation Status
Nationally Critical
The Sinbad Valley is remote. Steep mountains. Thick bush. A valley that does not welcome visitors. The Sinbad Skink does not mind. The Sinbad Skink is the hidden treasure of Fiordland, defined by a range that is limited to a single valley. At twenty to twenty-four centimetres in length, it is a large, robust skink, with dark brown to greyish-brown colouration and pale flecks and stripes that provide camouflage among the rocks. The belly is pale cream, and the eyes are dark and watchful. A lizard that has learned to live where the map ends. This is a skink of the remote valley. The Sinbad Skink is found only in the Sinbad Valley in Fiordland, a rugged valley surrounded by steep mountains. It basks on sun-warmed rocks and logs, soaking up the heat that will fuel its hunting. A lizard that lives where few humans go. Biologically, the Sinbad Skink is a viviparous species, giving birth to live young. Females produce two to four offspring each year, a slow reproductive rate that makes the species vulnerable to population decline. The young are born in late summer and are miniature versions of the adults, independent from birth. A slow return. A long wait. The Sinbad Skink is one of New Zealand's rarest lizards. Its entire population is confined to a single valley, and it is threatened by climate change, predation, and habitat loss. A lizard that has nowhere else to go. To see a Sinbad Skink is to see a lizard that exists nowhere else on Earth. It is a creature of the remote valley, a survivor of the Fiordland wilderness, and its future depends on the protection of its habitat and the control of predators. The valley is quiet. The skink basks on a sun-warmed rock, dark against the grey stone. It does not know it is rare. It does not know it is confined. It just basks. That is all it can do.