small-scaled skink of northern coastal forest edges
- Size
- Length: 14–18 cm
- Lifespan
- 8–12 years
- Diet
- Insectivorous. Feeds on insects, spiders, wētā, and small invertebrates. Also eats fruit and berries. Diurnal skink basking in sun on rocks.
- Habitat
- Montane forests, scrublands, and rocky outcrops. Prefers rocks and logs for basking with dense vegetation for cover. Often found in high country.
- Range
- Found only in central and southern North Island. Most common in Ruahine and Tararua ranges, and Wellington region. One of most restricted ranges.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- Habitat loss from land development and vegetation clearance. Predation from introduced rats, cats, and hedgehogs. Climate change affecting habitats.
- Population
- At Risk - Declining. Distinctive skink found only in central and southern North Island. Brown with darker stripes. Diurnal, active during day.
- Conservation Status
- At Risk - Declining
- Human Risk
- harmless
- Handling Note
- protected native skink, do not handle or disturb to prevent stress
- Conservation Note
- Endemic skink; restricted to northern offshore islands and declining due to predation risk.
- Assessment
- NZTCS Reptiles and Amphibians (2021)
- Te Ao Māori
- In Māori tradition, Small-scaled Skink was a creature of mountains and forest. A kaitiaki (guardian) of the ranges. Its small scales seen as leaves of trees. Sign of connection to forest. It was a taonga (treasure). A creature to be respected, never harmed by those who encountered it in wild.
Its scales are smaller and smoother than those of its relatives. Oligosoma microlepis is the finely textured lizard of the North Island ranges. At fourteen to eighteen centimetres in length, it is a medium-sized skink. Slender and agile. Brown to greyish-brown colouration features darker stripes and spots. Belly is pale cream. Eyes are dark and watchful. A lizard that wears fine detail.
A skink of the mountain forest. Found only in the central and southern North Island, in montane forests, scrublands, 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. The Ruahine and Tararua ranges are its home. Steep, forested, and often shrouded in cloud. One of the most restricted ranges of any North Island skink.
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. This higher rate is a small advantage in a landscape full of predators.
Threatened by habitat loss and predation. Restricted range makes it vulnerable to localised threats. Population is declining. Forests of central North Island have been fragmented by development. Rats and cats patrol remaining patches. Land development and vegetation clearance are primary threats. Introduced rats, cats, and hedgehogs prey on adults and young. Climate change affects montane habitats. Classified as At Risk - Declining.
To see a Small-scaled Skink is to see a lizard that exists nowhere else on Earth. The mountain forest is steep. The skink basks on a sun-warmed rock, small scales smooth and dark, watching. The rats are in the forest. The skink does not know it is threatened. It does not know its range is restricted. It just wants to bask in the sun. The small-scaled skink hides in the shadows, waiting for the dawn. Its small scales are a reminder of the fine details of the natural world. They are easy to miss but worth looking for.