Speckled Skink
Encyclopedia
The speckled skink, Oligosoma infrapunctatum, is a species of skink
in the family
Scincidae. It is endemic to New Zealand
.
The speckled skink is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification System
as being in 'gradual decline'.
from the Bay of Plenty
south, and the South Island
in the Marlborough Sounds
, Nelson and Westland regions. It occurs in open forest, scrubland and tussock grassland from sea level to the subalpine zone , on boulder beaches in the Westland region of the South Island and occasionally in farmland and other modified habitats .
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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 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. It is endemic to 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 speckled skink is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification System
New Zealand Threat Classification System
The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand....
as being in 'gradual decline'.
Distribution
Oligosoma infrapunctatum is a widespread but patchily distributed skink with a distribution spanning the North IslandNorth 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...
from the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
south, and the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
in the Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand...
, Nelson and Westland regions. It occurs in open forest, scrubland and tussock grassland from sea level to the subalpine zone , on boulder beaches in the Westland region of the South Island and occasionally in farmland and other modified habitats .
Biogeography
Recent genetic studies showed deep genetic divisions within O. infrapunctatum indicating that it is probably a complex of cryptic species which diverged in the PliocenePliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
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