Whitaker's skink
Encyclopedia
The Whitaker's skink, Cyclodina whitakeri, is a species of skink
in the Scincidae family. It is found only in New Zealand
. The specific epithet is in honour of Tony Whitaker (1944-), a New Zealand herpetologist who has studied NZ lizards for more than 30 years.
Whitaker's skink lives in coastal forest and scrub. The species is named after the scientist Tony Whitaker, who has spent decades studying New Zealand lizards. During the day the skinks retreat to warm, moist places such as seabird burrows and deep boulder banks. They forage on warm, humid nights. The species is found on two small, predator-free islands off the Coromandel Peninsula
– Middle Island in the Mercury Islands
group, and Castle Island. There is also a mainland population in a small rocky area at the base of coastal hills at Pukerua Bay
, near Wellington
. Fossil bones found in the Waikato Region suggest that these skinks were once more widely distributed.
The Department of Conservation and the Friends of Mana Island are running a five year project to catch and breed enough animals from the vulnerable Pukerua Bay colony to establish a sustainable population on nearby predator-free Mana Island.
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
in the Scincidae family. It is found only in 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 specific epithet is in honour of Tony Whitaker (1944-), a New Zealand herpetologist who has studied NZ lizards for more than 30 years.
Whitaker's skink lives in coastal forest and scrub. The species is named after the scientist Tony Whitaker, who has spent decades studying New Zealand lizards. During the day the skinks retreat to warm, moist places such as seabird burrows and deep boulder banks. They forage on warm, humid nights. The species is found on two small, predator-free islands off the Coromandel Peninsula
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
– Middle Island in the Mercury Islands
Mercury Islands
The Mercury Islands lie off the northeast coast of New Zealand's North Island. They are located off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, and northeast of the town of Whitianga....
group, and Castle Island. There is also a mainland population in a small rocky area at the base of coastal hills at Pukerua Bay
Pukerua Bay
Pukerua Bay is a small seaside community at the southern end of the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand. In local government terms it is the northernmost suburb of Porirua City...
, near Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. Fossil bones found in the Waikato Region suggest that these skinks were once more widely distributed.
The Department of Conservation and the Friends of Mana Island are running a five year project to catch and breed enough animals from the vulnerable Pukerua Bay colony to establish a sustainable population on nearby predator-free Mana Island.