Oligosoma

''Oligosoma'' is a genus of small to medium-sized skinks (family Scincidae) found only in New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. ''Oligosoma'' had previously been found to belong to the ''Eugongylus'' group of genera in the subfamily Lygosominae; the Australian genus ''Bassiana'' appears to be fairly closely related.

Species

The currently described species are:
*'' Oligosoma acrinasum'' – Fiordland skink
*'' Oligosoma aeneum'' – copper skink
*'' Oligosoma alani'' – Alan's skink, robust skink
*''Oligosoma albornense'' – Alborn skink
*'' Oligosoma auroraense'' – Hawke's Bay skink, eastern speckled skink
*'' Oligosoma awakopaka'' – Awakopaka skink
*'' Oligosoma burganae'' – Burgan skink
*'' Oligosoma chloronoton'' – green skink
*'' Oligosoma elium'' – Marlborough spotted skink
*'' Oligosoma fallai'' – Falla's skink, Three Kings skink
*'' Oligosoma grande'' – grand skink
*'' Oligosoma hardyi'' – Hardy's skink
*'' Oligosoma homalonotum'' – chevron skink
*'' Oligosoma hoparatea'' – Pukuma skink, white-bellied skink
*'' Oligosoma inconspicuum'' – cryptic skink
*'' Oligosoma infrapunctatum'' – cobble skink, speckled skink
*'' Oligosoma judgei'' – barrier skink
*'' Oligosoma kahurangi''
*'' Oligosoma kakerakau''
*''Oligosoma kokowai'' – northern spotted skink
*'' Oligosoma levidensum'' – slight skink
*'' Oligosoma lichenigerum'' – Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands skink
*'' Oligosoma lineoocellatum'' – Canterbury spotted skink
*'' Oligosoma longipes'' – long-toed skink
*'' Oligosoma maccanni'' – McCann's skink
*'' Oligosoma macgregori'' – MacGregor's skink
*'' Oligosoma microlepis'' – small-scaled skink
*''Oligosoma moco'' – Moko skink
*'' Oligosoma newmani'' – Newman's speckled skink
*''Oligosoma nigriplantare'' – Chatham Islands skink
*'' Oligosoma northlandi'' – Northland skink(extinct)
*'' Oligosoma notosaurus'' – southern skink
*''Oligosoma oliveri'' – marbled skink, Oliver's New Zealand skink
*'' Oligosoma ornatum'' – Gray's ornate skink
*'' Oligosoma otagense'' – Otago skink
*'' Oligosoma pachysomaticum'' – Coromandel skink
*'' Oligosoma pikitanga'' – Sinbad skink
*'' Oligosoma polychroma'' – common New Zealand skink, southern grass skink
*'' Oligosoma prasinum'' – Mackenzie skink
*'' Oligosoma repens'' – Eyres skink
*'' Oligosoma robinsoni'' - crenulate skink, Hokitika skink, cobble skink
*'' Oligosoma roimata'' – Aorangi skink
*'' Oligosoma salmo'' – Chesterfield skink
*'' Oligosoma smithi'' – shore skink
*'' Oligosoma stenotis'' – small-eared skink
*'' Oligosoma striatum'' – striped skink
*'' Oligosoma suteri'' – egg-laying skink, Suter's skink
*'' Oligosoma taumakae'' – Open Bay Islands skink, Taumaka skink
*'' Oligosoma tekakahu'' – Te Kakahu skink
*'' Oligosoma toka'' – Nevis skink
*'' Oligosoma townsi'' - Mokohinau skink
*'' Oligosoma waimatense'' – scree skink
*'' Oligosoma whitakeri'' – Whitaker's New Zealand skink
*'' Oligosoma zelandicum'' – brown skink

A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Oligosoma''.

Merger of ''Oligosoma'' and ''Cyclodina''

A molecular phylogenetic analysis has merged the genus ''Cyclodina'' with ''Oligosoma,'' rendering ''Cyclodina'' an obsolete taxon.

References

Further reading

* Girard, C. (1857). "Descriptions of some new Reptiles, collected by the United States Exploring Expedition, under the command of Capt. Charles Wilkes, U. S. N. Fourth Part.— Including the species of Saurians, exotic to North America". ''Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia'' 9: 195–199. (''Oligosoma'', new genus, p. 196).
*Jewell, T. (2011) ''A Photographic Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand''. Auckland: New Holland (revised edition).

External links

North Island ''Oligosoma'' spp. skink recovery plan 2002–2012Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2021

Reptiles of New Zealand
Lizard genera
Taxa named by Charles Frédéric Girard

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