The shore skink, Oligosoma smithii / Leiolopisma smithii, is a species of skink

Skink

Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...

 native to the north half of the North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

 of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. The shore skink is always found near the shoreline and prefers open areas such as around driftwood at the high tide mark. It eats insects and probably anything that moves and fits in its mouth. It was named after Lt Alexander Smith who collected the original specimens in the 1840s. The shore skink is diurnal (active during the day) and spends most of its time hunting or basking in the sun. It is small, growing to 8 cm and well camouflage

Camouflage

Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...

d. This skink may be found in a range of colours, sometimes almost black.