Slight skink facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Slight skink
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Oligosoma
Species:	O. levidensum
Binomial name
Oligosoma levidensum Chapple et al. 2008
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The slight skink (Oligosoma levidensum) is a small lizard. It belongs to the skink family, called Scincidae. This special skink lives only in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. When we say it is "endemic," it means you won't find it naturally anywhere else in the world!

Scientists do not know exactly where all slight skinks live. So far, they have only been found in the Te Paki area of Northland.

Discovering the Slight Skink

For a long time, people thought the slight skink was the same as another skink, the copper skink (Oligosoma aeneum). They look very much alike!

However, in 2008, scientists like Chapple and his team looked very closely at these lizards. They used special methods to study their bodies, their genes, and their DNA. This helped them see that the slight skink was actually a completely new species.

What Makes It Special?

It can be tricky to tell the slight skink apart from the copper skink. The biggest difference is that the slight skink has a more slender body. Its legs are also shorter and smaller compared to the copper skink and another related skink called Hardy's skink (Oligosoma hardyi).

Protecting the Slight Skink

The slight skink needs our help to survive. In 2012, the Department of Conservation (DOC) in New Zealand looked at how many slight skinks were left. They decided the slight skink is "Nationally Vulnerable." This means there are not many of them, and they could be in danger if we don't protect them and their homes.