Gardening for lizards in the lower North Island

Nine lizard species live in urban areas of the lower North Island. Some live happily alongside us without our knowing, others are declining due to loss and fragmentation of habitat, and predation by cats, birds and mammals. Every gardener can make a difference by creating habitats for lizards to flourish.

Lizards of urban areas in the lower North Island

Common skink (Oligosoma polychroma) Common; around much of the Wellington region. Download a factsheet

Brown skink (Oligosoma zelandicum) Scattered throughout Wellington from Johnsonville to Karori and south to Island Bay. Not abundant.

Ornate skink

Copper skink (Oligosoma aeneum) A handful of records exist for Wellington, Hutt Valley and east of the harbour.

Ornate skink (Oligosoma ornata) There are few records in Wellington but they are known to be locally abundant in some areas including from a line across central Wellington to Karori north, and through most suburbs to Johnsonville (south of State Highway 1). Download a factsheet

Common gecko (Hoplodactylus maculatus) Widespread; scattered along the southern coast including inland on the old coastal scarps. Download a factsheet

Marlborough mini (H. "Marlborough mini") A coastal species, similar in appearance to common geckos. Only recently identified and found between Houghton Bay and Sinclair Head.

Spotted skink (Oligosoma lineoocellatum) Previously found near Percy's Reserve, Korokoro, Wainuiomata Coast, to Turakirae Head. It is not clear whether any of these populations still exist.

Southern North Island forest gecko (H. "southern North Island") Little is known about its distribution but especially found in the forested hill country throughout Wellington. Download a factsheet

Wellington green gecko (Naultinus elegans punctatus) Found in most suburbs of Wellington city, Petone, Lower and Upper Hutt, especially in forested areas. A few records from Tawa, Haywards, Whitby and Judgeford. Download a factsheet

Plants that lizards love

Divaricating shrubs for complexity and height

Shrubby tororaro

Small-leaved pohuehue, scrub pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia complexa); shrubby tororaro (Muehlenbeckia astonii); thick-leaved mahoe (Melicytus crassifolius)

Species to give protection from predators

Matagouri (Discaria toumatou); speargrass (Aciphylla squarrosa); shrubby tororaro (Muehlenbeckia astonii)

Vines to connect habitats

New Zealand clematis (Clematis foetida, C. paniculata, C. forsteri) Kaihua, New Zealand jasmine (Parsonsia capsularis, P. heterophylla) Climbing rātā (Metrosideros perforata, M. fulgens)

Thick ground covers for retreat sites

Ferns (Asplenium, Blechnum, Adiantum, Doodia species), tussock grasses and sedges (Carex, Chionochloa, Poa, Festuca species), rengarenga (Arthropodium cirratum) pinatoro, New Zealand daphne (Pimelia prostrata, P. arenaria) Shore spurge (Euphorbia glauca), fuchsia (Fuchsia perscandens)

Clump forming species to create debris

Flax (Phormium tenax or P. cookianum), cabbage tree (Cordyline australis), pukio or swamp sedge (Carex virgata), astelia (Astelia fragrans, A. grandis, A. solandri)

Food species

Nectar: Rātā species (Metrosideros robusta, M. fulgens), flax (Phormium tenax, P. cookianum), mänuka (Leptospermum scoparium), koromiko (Hebe stricta var. atkinsonii)

Fruit: Kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum), coprosma species (e.g., Coprosma repens, C. propinqua), porcupine shrub (Melicytus crassifolius), small-leaved pohuehue, (Muehlenbeckia complexa), nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida) (pollen)

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