Facts about striped skink
Mysterious reptile
Striped skink
The distinctively marked striped skink is one of New Zealand's least known and rarely seen lizards. The species is easily recognised by the pale stripes running down the length of its body, and makes for an eye-catching sight with its lightening quick movements.
The striped skink is listed as 'Declining' under the Department of Conservation's Threat Classification system.
The sparse records for this species indicate that they are widespread through the central North Island up to Great and Little Barrier Islands although their secretive nature has meant that accurate population monitoring has not yet been able to take place.
Ecology and habitat
- Striped skinks give birth in summer and can have up to eight young in a litter.
- Lifespan: Growth rates and lifespan are unknown, but an adult in captivity has lived for over 20 years.
- Diet: Their diet in the wild is largely unknown. In captivity they mainly eat insects, but will also eat soft fruit.
- Habitat: Striped skinks are found in mature lowland forest and pastoral farmland. The striped skink is a good climber and may spend most of its time in the canopy of mature forest. It is known to live beneath flaking bark and crevasses in trunks, branches and epiphytes. They also dwell in logs and litter on the forest floor. On farmland they tend to live in rotting logs or rank vegetation. Striped skinks have also been found in swampland.
- Physiology: Striped skinks have been shown to have high rates of evaporative water loss making them susceptible to dehydration. This may account for their apparent tendency to inhabit damp areas.
Population and range
- Fewer than 150 striped skinks have ever been recorded from the wild and their actual population size is not known
- They are presently known from several widely scattered inland locations throughout the central and northern North Island and on Great Barrier and Little Barrier Islands.
back to top
Contacts
DOC HOTline - 24 hour emergency number
Phone 0800 DOC HOTline (0800 362 468) to report:
Sick or injured wildlife
Whale or dolphin strandings