Atlas species information

Habitat

• Sand dunes, grasslands, herbfields, wetlands, rocky areas including rock piles and scree, and scrub.
• From the coast up to at least 1800 m above sea level.
• Diurnal, avid sun-basker.
• May over-winter in small groups.
• May live on ground, among rocks or among low dense vegetation; 'striped' form favours grass habitats.

Description

• 'Striped' form: back light to dark straw-brown (rarely dark grey) with numerous smooth stripes, including dark brown mid-dorsal stripe continuous virtually to tip of intact tail; sides with broad dark brown stripe above (bordered by thin pale stripes) and below this grey-brown.
• 'Speckled' form: back mid- to dark brown, with or without various stripes and with or without lighter and darker flecking or grey blotches, sides as for 'striped' form but often more flecked.
• 'Striped' and 'speckled' forms have throat grey-brown, and belly grey-brown to bright yellow, usually unmarked.
• 'Seaward Moss' form reddish- to very dark brown or dark olive-green all over, sides marginally darker than back, undersurface marginally paler, the only markings a dark mid-dorsal stripe and often a blackish snout.
• Soles of feet yellow, dark brown or black.
• Size up to 72 (occasionally to 79) mm from snout tip to vent.

Distribution

• From central North Island southwards to Stewart Island; on South Island mostly found east of Main Divide, western occurrence restricted to Nelson and northern Westland; on Stewart Island possibly restricted to lowland areas.
• Often abundant.
• 'Speckled' form occurs from Otago/Canterbury boundary northwards.
• 'Seaward Moss' form confined to the Seaward Moss Conservation Area near Invercargill.
• 'Striped' form ranges from Stewart Island to north Otago, on Stephens Island, and occurs sporadically in Marlborough and the North Island.

Notes

• The scientific name means "many colours".
• Likely to be given full species status.
• Notes about NZ threat classification (Hitchmough, et al 2007): Unstriped colour morph from Seaward Moss wetland in Southland has declined markedly, possibly to extinction - cause unknown but possibly vegetation succession, normal striped morph remains common.
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles: (Hitchmough, et al.
• 2012): Declining trend documented at Rotoiti, stable population trend documented at Pukerua Bay; likely to be in decline, but possibly not at 10% over 3 generations, elsewhere on the mainland.
• Secure on many islands.
• Declining trends on mainland likely offset by increases on islands eradicated of mammals (and mainland sanctuaries).