The robust skink (''Oligosoma alani'', formerly ''Cyclodina alani'')
is a large, rare
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Scincidae. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
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 ...
.
Geographic range
''O. alani'' was once widespread throughout the
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
[ ][Gill, Brian; Whitaker, Tony (2001). ''New Zealand Frogs and Reptiles''. David Bateman.] but has been wiped out in most parts of its former range by predation from several species of introduced
rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...
s. It now occurs naturally only on six small islands off the north-eastern coast of the North Island.
Etymology
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
, ''alani'', was given by the describer
Joan Robb in honour of her nephew, Alan Robb.
Behaviour and habitat
The robust skink is strongly nocturnal and lives under rocks, or in seabird burrows, tree stumps, and fallen logs. It prefers well vegetated areas with plenty of leaf litter and tolerates coastal areas as long as there is dense vegetation cover. Studies of the robust skink show that it is unusually vulnerable to losing water through its skin, which may explain its preference for damp environments such as crevices, bird burrows, rotting logs, and closely matted vegetation.
[Cree, A.; Daugherty, C. H.; Towns, D. R. ''Unpublished research.'' Cited in DOC TSRP-27.]
Reproduction
''O. alani'' is
viviparous
Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the m ...
.
[
]
References
Further reading
* Hardy GS (1977). "The New Zealand Scincidae (Reptilia: Lacertilia); a taxonomic and zoogeographic study". ''New Zealand Journal of Zoology'' 4 (3): 221–325. (''Cyclodina alani'', new combination, p. 270).
* Hoskins AJ, Hare KM, Miller KA, Schumann N, Chapple DG (2017). "Repeatability, locomotor performance and trade-offs between performance traits in two lizard species, ''Oligosoma alani'' and ''O. smithi'' ". ''Biological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 122 (4): 850–859.
* Robb J (1970). "A new skink of the genus ''Leiolopisma'' from New Zealand". ''Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (Serie C)'' 73: 228–229. (''Leiolopisma alani'', new species).
Reptiles of New Zealand
Oligosoma
Endemic fauna of New Zealand
Reptiles described in 1970
Taxa named by Joan Robb
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Endemic reptiles of New Zealand
{{Lygosominae-stub