''Oligosoma taumakae'', the Open Bay Island(s) skink, or Taumaka skink, is a species of

skink Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Ski ...

. It was described from the

Open Bay Islands The Open Bay Islands are located in South Westland, off the south-west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. They consist of two main islands, Taumaka and Popotai, plus several smaller islets and rocks. They lie approximately offshore from ...

, off the west coast of the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. This species is diagnosed on the basis of several morphological characteristics, and its specific status is supported by

mitochondria A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the Cell (biology), cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and Fungus, fungi. Mitochondria have a double lipid bilayer, membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosi ...

l sequence data (ND2, ND4). The new species appears to be most closely related to ''

Oligosoma acrinasum The Fiordland skink (''Oligosoma acrinasum'') is a species of skink endemic to the Fiordland temperate forests ecoregion of South Island, New Zealand. The Fiordland skink is found on one mainland locations and the exposed rocky shores of numerou ...

'', ''

Oligosoma infrapunctatum ''Oligosoma infrapunctatum'', the speckled skink, is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. The speckled skink is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification System as being in 'gradual decline'. H ...

'', '' Oligosoma otagense'' and ''

Oligosoma waimatense The scree skink (''Oligosoma waimatense'') is a species of skink native to several sites throughout the South Island of New Zealand. A member of the family Scincidae, it was described by Geoff Patterson in 1997. It favours rocky habitats, parti ...

''. Predation by a flightless rail, the

weka The weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen (''Gallirallus australis'') is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is the only extant member of the genus ''Gallirallus''. Four subspecies are recognize ...

, which is native to New Zealand, but was introduced to the Open Bay Islands, is a major conservation concern. Until recently known only from the Open Bay Islands (both Taumaka and Popotai Islands), the species has subsequently been discovered on two apparently predator-free vegetated rock stacks located off the coast of Barn Bay, 52 km southwest of the Open Bay Islands.

Physical characteristics

The maximum

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

of this skink is 96 mm. The tail is longer than the SVL. The colour of the back can be many shades of brown, though usually olive with dark-brown to black speckling on top. The sides are dark brown, with black and white speckling being bordered by grey markings. Their eyes are dark-brown. They have 5 scales just above the eye, forming an eyebrow shape.

Conservation status

As of 2012 the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified the ''Oligosoma taumakae'' as Nationally Endangered under the

New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3350595 taumakae Reptiles described in 2007 Reptiles of New Zealand Endangered biota of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Taxa named by David G. Chapple Taxa named by Geoff B. Patterson Endemic reptiles of New Zealand