Hardy's skink
Encyclopedia
Hardy's skink, Cyclodina hardyi, is a skink
of the family
Scincidae, endemic to the Poor Knights Islands
of New Zealand
. It occurs on Tawhiti Rahi Island, Aorangi Island, Aorangaia Island, Archway Island, and two rock stacks (Stack “B,” Stack “C”). It closely resembles the copper skink, Cyclodina aenea, and was considered to be a member of this species until recently when it was described as a new species using morphological, allozyme and DNA
methods (Chapple et al. 2008). It is most commonly found in areas where there is ground cover near flax and scrub habitat. It is crepuscular, seeking refuge during the day under stones or thick vegetation.
Cyclodina hardyi can be distinguished from all other Cyclodina species, including the other members of the C. aenea species complex, by having suboculars three and four separated by the fifth supralabial under the eye. In addition, the midbody scale count is greater than that of the slight skink
from the Te Paki region.
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Scincidae, endemic to the Poor Knights Islands
Poor Knights Islands
The Poor Knights Islands are a group of islands off the east coast of the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. They are located to the northeast of Whangarei, and lie offshore half way between Bream Head and Cape Brett. Uninhabited since the 1820s, they are a nature reserve and...
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...
. It occurs on Tawhiti Rahi Island, Aorangi Island, Aorangaia Island, Archway Island, and two rock stacks (Stack “B,” Stack “C”). It closely resembles the copper skink, Cyclodina aenea, and was considered to be a member of this species until recently when it was described as a new species using morphological, allozyme and DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
methods (Chapple et al. 2008). It is most commonly found in areas where there is ground cover near flax and scrub habitat. It is crepuscular, seeking refuge during the day under stones or thick vegetation.
Cyclodina hardyi can be distinguished from all other Cyclodina species, including the other members of the C. aenea species complex, by having suboculars three and four separated by the fifth supralabial under the eye. In addition, the midbody scale count is greater than that of the slight skink
Slight skink
The slight skink, Oligosoma levidensum, is a skink of the family Scincidae, endemic to the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. The precise distribution is unknown, currently it is only known from localities in the Te Paki region of Northland...
from the Te Paki region.