Oligosoma smithi

Oligosoma smithi, commonly known as the shore skink,^[2] short-tailed skink,^[2] Smith's ground skink,^[3] Smith's moco,^[4] and Smith's skink,^[2] is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae (skinks) that is native to New Zealand.

Oligosoma smithi
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Oligosoma
Species:	O. smithi
Binomial name
Oligosoma smithi (Gray, 1845)
Synonyms[1]
Mocoa smithii Gray, 1845 Lygosomella aestuosa Girard, 1857 Lampropholis smithii — Fitzinger, 1861 Euprepes smithii — Steindachner, 1869 Norbea isolata Hutton, 1872 Lygosoma smithii — Boulenger, 1887 Lygosoma (Leiolopisma) smithi — M.A. Smith, 1937 Leiolopisma smithii — Mittleman, 1952 Lygosomella smithi — Wells & Wellington, 1985 Oligosoma smithi — Patterson & Daugherty, 1995

Description

Scientific specimen collected from the Mercury Islands

Oligosoma smithi is small species of skink, growing to a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 8 cm (3.1 in). It is well camouflaged, and may be found in a range of colours, sometimes almost black.

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, occurring on the eastern coast from the Aupōuri Peninsula in the north south to Gisborne. Closely-related skinks on the western shore of the North Island and the Three Kings Islands were formerly considered members of this species, but are now known as tātahi skinks (Oligosoma aff. smithi "Three Kings, Te Paki, Western Northland").^[5]

It is always found near the shoreline and prefers open areas such as around driftwood at the high tide mark.^[2]

Behavior

Oligosoma smithi is diurnal (active during the day) and spends most of its time hunting or basking in the sun.^{[citation needed]} It eats insects and probably anything that moves and fits in its mouth.^{[citation needed]}

Like most New Zealand skinks, it is viviparous (reproduces by giving birth to live young).^{[citation needed]}

Conservation status

As of 2012 the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified Oligosoma smithi as Not Threatened under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.^[6]

Taxonomy

This species was first described as Mocoa smithii by John Edward Gray. The specific name, smithi, is in honor of Gray's nephew, British naval officer Lt Alexander John Smith, who collected the original specimens in the early 1840s, and presented them to his uncle at the British Museum.^[5] After being placed in several other genera it was moved in 1995 to the genus Oligosoma, with all other New Zealand skink species.

References

1. "Oligosoma smithi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
2. "Shore Skink". Hamilton Zoo. Hamilton Zoo. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
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. (Oligosoma smithi, p. 246).
4. Gray, 1845.
5. van Winkel, Dylan; Baling, Marleen; Hitchmough, Rod (2018). Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand (1st ed.). Auckland: Auckland University Press. pp. 260–261. ISBN 978-1-86940-937-1. OL 40449345M. Wikidata Q76013985.
6. Hitchmough, Rod; Anderson, Peter; Barr, Ben; Monks, Jo; Lettink, Marieke; Reardon, James; Tocher, Mandy; Whitaker, Tony. "Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2012" (PDF). Department of Conservation. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 18 July 2015.

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Lygosoma smithii, pp. 274–275).
• Gray JE (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Mocoa smithii, new species, pp. 82–83).

External links

• 3D model of a Shore skink (NOT showing natural colours)