Speckled skink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Speckled skink |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Oligosoma
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| Species: |
infrapunctatum
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The speckled skink, also known by its scientific name Oligosoma infrapunctatum, is a type of skink. Skinks are small lizards that belong to the family called Scincidae. This special skink only lives in New Zealand. This means it is endemic to New Zealand and cannot be found naturally anywhere else in the world.
Scientists have looked at the speckled skink's numbers. They classify it as being in 'gradual decline' in New Zealand. This means its population is slowly getting smaller. However, it's a bit tricky because what we call the speckled skink might actually be a group of very similar skinks. Some scientists think the true O. infrapunctatum might be very rare or even gone forever.
Where Speckled Skinks Live
The speckled skink is found in many places across New Zealand. It lives on the North Island from the Bay of Plenty down south. On the South Island, you can find it in the Marlborough Sounds, Nelson, and Westland areas.
These skinks like different kinds of homes. They live in open forests, areas with bushes (scrubland), and grasslands with tussock plants. You can find them from areas near the sea all the way up to high mountain zones. In Westland, they even live on beaches with lots of rocks. Sometimes, they can also be seen on farms or in other places changed by people.
Understanding Speckled Skink Groups
Recent studies have looked closely at the genes of the speckled skink. These studies showed that what we thought was one type of skink might actually be several different, but very similar, types. These different types probably started to become separate a long, long time ago.
One recent paper even suggested that the original Oligosoma infrapunctatum might no longer exist. It said that the widespread skinks we see today, which look like Oligosoma infrapunctatum, should actually be called Oligosoma newmani. This shows how important it is for scientists to keep studying animals to understand them better.
