Hardy's skink

Hardy's skink
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Oligosoma
Species:	O. hardyi
Binomial name
Oligosoma hardyi Chapple et al., 2008 [2]
Distribution of Hardy's skink on a map of the North Island   Known native range
Synonyms [2]
Cyclodina aenea Girard, 1857 (part) Cyclodina aenea — Hardy, 1977 (part) Cyclodina hardyi Chapple et al., 2008 Oligosoma hardyi — Chapple et al., 2009

Hardy's skink (Oligosoma hardyi) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Poor Knights Islands of New Zealand.

Etymology

The specific name, hardyi, is in honor of Kiwi herpetologist Graham S. Hardy. ^[3]

Geographic range

In the Poor Knights Islands, O. hardyi occurs on Tawhiti Rahi Island, Aorangi Island, Aorangaia Island, Archway Island, and two rock stacks (Stack “B”, Stack “C”). ^[1]

Taxonomy

Oligosoma hardyi 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). More recently, the genus Cyclodina was merged with the genus Oligosoma (Chapple et al. 2009), resulting in a new combination for this species, Oligosoma hardyi.

Habitat and behaviour

Oligosoma hardyi 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. ^[1]

Description

Oligosoma hardyi can be distinguished from all other Oligosoma species, including the other members of the O. aeneum 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 ( Oligosoma levidensum ) from the Te Paki region. ^[2]

Oligosoma hardyi may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 5.5 cm (2.2 in). ^[1]

Diet

Oligosoma hardyi preys upon invertebrates. ^[1]

Reproduction

Oligosoma hardyi has been described as being viviparous ^[1] and as being ovoviviparous. ^[2]

References

1. Hitchmough R (2021). "Oligosoma hardyi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T120189443A120192589.en. Accessed on 28 December 2023.
2. Species Oligosoma hardyi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Cyclodina hardyi, p. 116).

Further reading

• Chapple DG (editor) (2016). New Zealand Lizards. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. xvi + 375 pp. ISBN   978-3-319-41672-4.
• Chapple DG, Patterson GB, Bell TP, Daugherty CH (2008). "Taxonomic Revision of the Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea, Squamata, Scincidea) Species Complex with descriptions of two new species". Journal of Herpetology42 (3): 437 – 452. (Cyclodina hardyi, new species).
• Chapple DG, Ritchie PA, Daugherty CH (2009). "Origin, diversification, and systematics of the New Zealand skink fauna (Reptilia: Scincidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution52 (2): 470-487. (Oligosoma hardyi, new combination).
• van Winkel D, Baling M, Hitchmough R (2018). Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand. Auckland: Auckland University Press. 376 pp. ISBN   978-1-86940-937-1.