New Zealand striped skink
The New Zealand striped skink (Oligosoma striatum) is a rare species of medium-sized skink endemic to New Zealand. The specific epithet means "streaked".[1] The habitat of this species is native forest; they are often found under fallen rotting logs in the bush or under those remaining in pasture after the forest has been cleared. They are at least partly arboreal and have been found in the forest canopy among epiphytes and also in standing dead trees.[1][2]
| New Zealand striped skink | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Oligosoma |
| Species: | O. striatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Oligosoma striatum (Buller, 1871) | |
Conservation status
In 2012 the Department of Conservation classified the striped skink as At Risk under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. It was judged as meeting the criteria for At Risk threat status as a result of it having a low to high ongoing or predicted decline. This skink is also regarded as being Data Poor, Sparse and Conservation Dependent.[3]
References
- Brian Gill and Tony Whitaker,"New Zealand Frogs and Reptiles", David Bateman, 2001
- James, Shauni (2 April 2016). "Rotorua Daily Post". Rare striped skink spotted. Retrieved 5 April 2016 – via New Zealand Herald website.
- Hitchmough, Rod; Anderson, Peter; Barr, Ben; Monks, Jo; Lettink, Marieke; Reardon, James; Tocher, Mandy; Whitaker, Tony. "Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2012" (PDF). Department of Conservation. The Government of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2015.