N.Z.’s disappearing lizards

Press, 30 May 1981, Page 15

N.Z.’s disappearing lizards

So little is known about New Zealand's lizards that there are doubts about howto classify them. Some are now’ extremely rare and scientists are becoming keener to learn more about them so they can be rescued from extinction. There is now a general discussion on the management needs of lizards, and on devising a list of research priorities.

The Wildlife Amendment Act, 1980, brought invertebrate fauna within the ambit of the Wildlife Act. This sensible move has led to a much greater public awareness of the significance of many small native wildlife creatures and the need to save them from extinction. This is particularly true of lizards. ’ A fair amount is known

about some of the more common species. The common gecko is fortunately still common, and quite a bit is now’ known about the Northland green gecko and Duvaucel's gecko. There has also been work done on blood parasites of lizards, and the acclimatisation ability of lizards. The rarities among, lizard species include the Stephens

Island gecko, the Seaward Kaikoura gecko, and several varieties of skink. Although Stephens Island has been a mecca for herpetologists (students of reptiles) veryfew specimens of this gecko have been found •— only four in the last five years. The Seaward Kaikoura gecko has never been described. It is known only from a single specimen collected at high altitude in the Seaward Kaikoura range. Although several intensive searches have been made of the area, no other specimens have been found. Four varieties of skink are considered endangered. Homalonotum is confined to Great Barrier Island, where it is rarely seen. Only five museum specimens are known to exist. Grande is thought to occupy very limited areas of Otago and in recent years there have been very few reports of it. Gracilicorpus is known only from a single specimen. The fourth skink, Cyclodina Whittakeri, occurs in low but probably stable numbers in two places — the middle island of the Mercury Group and a very limited length of coastline at Pukcrua Bay, north of Wellington. The'small Pukerua Bay population has been sub-

jecled to severe collecting pressure.

There are other species which need attention, although not thought to be in immediate danger. The goldstripe gecko is restricted to a number of local populations in Taranaki, mostly coastal, and a few on Mana Island north of Wellington. The Stewart Island gecko is still nndescribed and has never been found anywhere else. In this category, also, are four skinks. Striatum occurs locally throughout the central North Island, but is a forest dweller and its future is threatened by continued milling of native timber. Otagense exists in a few isolated pockets in Canterbury and Otago; Alani is restricted to islands in the Mercury and Moturoa groups; and McGregor! occurs on Sail Rock in good numbers, Mana Island in lownumbers. and also possibly on the Cavalli Islands.

There are also reports of a northern Stewart Island gecko,. based on two specimens found in forests there, but it has not been established that these are from a separate species. No priority will be given to their study until they have been properly identified.

By

OLIVER RIDDELL