Atlas species information

Habitat

• Open habitats including grassland, scrubby areas and beaches.
• Takes cover among low dense vegetation or beneath logs and rocks.
• Diurnal, avid sun-basker.
• Can be extremely abundant on predator-free islands.
• May live on ground, among rocks or among low dense vegetation.

Description

• 'Striped' form: back light to dark straw-brown (rarely dark grey) with numerous smooth stripes, including dark brown mid-dorsal stripe (stripe along spine) 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.
• Measures up to 72 mm (occasionally to 79 mm) from snout tip to vent.

Distribution

• Chatham Islands.

Notes

• The scientific name means "black foot-soles".
• Notes about NZ threat classification (Hitchmough, et al 2007): Unresolved taxonomic issues.
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles: (Hitchmough, et al.
• 2012): Likely to still be present on Main Chatham Island.
• It would be a huge mistake to translocate them there prematurely.
• Intensive survey work is highly recommended.