Southern grass skink

Oligosoma aff. polychroma; Clade 5

At Risk - Declining

The southern grass skink Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 5 is one of New Zealand’s most familiar reptiles. Some people may know this lizard as the “common skink (Oligosoma polychroma)”, but the “common skink” has now been split into several putative species.  

Quick Facts:

• Body length (snout-to-vent) up to 80 mm.
• This sleek skink is typically warm-brown in colour with stripes down its sides and sometimes on its back. Where it overlaps with McCann’s skink (Oligosoma maccanni) in Otago, it can typically be distinguished by its warm-brown colour (vs. grey-brown colour in McCann’s) and relatively plain or stripey back (vs. checker-board pattern often on back in McCann’s). 
• Southern grass skinks are diurnal and love warm, sunny weather. 
• Capable of reaching densities of > 4,000 individuals per hectare in optimal habitat.
• Common throughout much of Otago (~ 1,700 m a.s.l), but seemingly very uncommon at low elevations around Queenstown.

Protecting the southern grass skink means maintaining a mosaic of lush grasslands, shrublands and rocky habitats. Although these skinks have benefited from the proliferation of grassland habitats (via the removal of native forests — sad), they are still vulnerable to exotic mammals. They typically only thrive in complex habitats where intensive, multi-species pest control occurs. We only know of one small population in Queenstown, so please tell us if you spot any!

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