It is a ghost. Oligosoma whitakeri is defined by a secretive nature that makes it one of New Zealand's most rarely seen lizards. At twenty to twenty-five centimetres in length, it is a medium-sized skink. Slender and agile. Dark brown to greyish-brown colouration features pale flecks and stripes that break up its outline against leaf litter. Belly is pale cream. Eyes are dark and watchful. A lizard of the shadows. Whitaker's Skink is nocturnal and crepuscular. Hiding under rocks and logs during heat of day. Emerging at dusk and dawn to hunt. It moves slowly and deliberately. Pausing frequently to listen for danger. Its tongue flicks out to taste the air. When threatened, it drops its tail. Which continues to writhe, distracting the predator. And disappears into nearest crevice. Prefers damp, shaded habitats with deep leaf litter, rotting logs, and rock crevices for shelter. Often found near streams and gullies where humidity is high. Requires dense vegetation cover to hide from predators. And open, sunny patches for basking. Biologically, Whitaker's Skink is viviparous, giving birth to live young. Females produce two to four offspring each year. A relatively high reproductive rate that allows species to recover quickly when predators are controlled. Young are born in late summer and are independent from birth. Though they grow slowly, taking two to three years to reach maturity. Decline has been driven by same factors that have devastated so many of New Zealand's native lizards. Introduced rats, cats, and stoats have eaten their way through population. Habitat loss from coastal development and forest clearance has compounded problem. Today, species survives mainly on predator-free offshore islands. Great Barrier Island, the Mercury Islands. Where rats and cats are absent or controlled. There is hope. A small mainland population on Coromandel Peninsula is protected by intensive predator control. And skinks are slowly recovering. Every stoat trapped, every rat poisoned, every cat removed gives these secretive lizards a chance to survive. To breed. To reclaim their place in forest. To see a Whitaker's Skink is to witness a survivor. It is a lizard that has held on in face of overwhelming odds. Hiding in shadows. Waiting for dawn.