Atlas species information

Habitat

• Forest trees (retreat sites are beneath loose bark or in deep hollows, often on standing dead trees).
• Creviced rock outcrops, bluffs and rock tumbles, including associated scrubby vegetation, in open or scrubby areas.
• Coastlines among driftwood and boulders banks, including associated dense vegetation such as pohuehue, often down to high-tide line.
• In northern North Island largely restricted to coastline.
• Primarily in lowland areas.
• Largely nocturnal, but sun-basks at entrance to retreat.
• Arboreal or terrestrial.

Description

• Brown, grey or olive with paler bands, blotches, spots or stripes that are drab or bright.
• With or without pale stripe running from nostril to eye.
• Mouth lining pink, tongue pink with grey tip.
• Eye greenish or brown.
• Measures 55-82 mm from snout tip to vent.

Distribution

• North Island, Nelson and Marlborough, including many outlying islands.
• An abundant species in much of the south-eastern North Island, including many islands, but very sparse in western areas from Taranaki northwards.
• May form aggregations in large retreat sites.

Notes

• Maturity is reached in the fourth year.
• The scientific name means 'speckled'.
• Notes about NZ threat classification (Hitchmough 2002): Increasing on islands from which rats eradicated, declining in some places on mainland.
• Notes about 2008-11 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles (Hitchmough et al 2010): Declining on mainland but not at a rate to trigger declining category.
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles: (Hitchmough, et al.
• 2012): Relatively common around Cook Strait, uncommon elsewhere on the mainland.
• Very abundant on many secure islands.
• Mainland declines offset by stable/increasing populations on islands.