Atlas species information

Habitat

• Forest and open or shaded areas with adequate groundcover such as logs, rocks or long grass or deep leaf litter.
• Also encountered in urban areas: compost heaps, rock gardens etc.
• Occurs close to the high-tide line in coastal situations.
• Most active by day but very secretive, seldom emerging from cover.

Description

• Back brown, often uniform or sometimes with scattered darker and lighter flecks.
• A narrow pale-brown to copper-coloured stripe (sometimes highlighted beneath by black) may run along the edges of the back, especially above the shoulders.
• Sides grey to grey-brown with darker and lighter flecks.
• Belly cream to yellowish-green, unspotted.
• Throat lighter than belly, often with black flecks.
• 'Lips' often with alternating black/white toothed pattern.
• Measures up to 62 mm from tip of snout to vent.

Distribution

• Widespread throughout North Island (possibly absent from Hawke's Bay through to Manawatu), and on many outlying islands, but not in the Poor Knights or Three Kings groups.
• Can be abundant.

Notes

• New Zealand's smallest native lizard.
• The most common garden skink in Auckland and some suburbs of Wellington.
• The specific name means "copper (or bronze) coloured".
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles: (Hitchmough, et al.
• 2012): In northern mainland populations, now thriving in habitats dominated by exotic weeds and modified environments.
• Declines evidenced and anecdotal around Wellington.
• Secure on many islands.