The moko skink (''Oligosoma moco'') is a species of

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Scincidae (

skink Skinks are a type of lizard belonging to the family (biology), family Scincidae, a family in the Taxonomic rank, infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one o ...

s) that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to New Zealand.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by

André Marie Constant Duméril André Marie Constant Duméril (1 January 1774 – 14 August 1860) was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the National Museum of Natural History (France), Muséum national d'histoire naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became pr ...

and

Gabriel Bibron Gabriel Bibron (20 October 1805 – 27 March 1848) was a French zoologist and herpetologist. He was born in Paris. The son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was ...

in 1839 under the name ''Lygosoma moco''. In 1955 when Charles McCann revised the taxa of New Zealand skinks, he placed the species within the genus ''

Leiolopisma ''Leiolopisma'' is a genus of skinks. Most species occur in the region of New Caledonia-New Zealand, and they are related to other genera from that general area, such as ''Emoia''; these and others form the ''Eugongylus'' group. One living and t ...

'', which made the species' scientific name ''Leiolopisma moco'' for much of the 20th century. This was until 1995 when Geoff Patterson and Charles Daugherty reinstated the genus ''

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 subfami ...

'' for New Zealand skinks, leading to the species' modern name ''Oligosoma moco''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''moco'' refers to , the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

word for lizards in general.

Description

The colour and patterns are variable, but the overall colour is coppery or olive brown and it usually has an even edged dark brown stripe along the side, bordered cream or white on the top and bottom. Some individuals are very dark. It has distinctive long toes and tail, and grows to a 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 mos ...

of . The very long tail can make up over half the total body length. The species can be distinguished from the undescribed Whirinaki skink (also a member of ''Oligosoma'') due to the Whirinaki skinks having a distinct teardrop marking below their eyes.

Distribution

It is

to New Zealand and is found throughout the northeastern part of the North Island, between North Cape and the

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...

, as well as numerous islands off the east coast of the North Island, where it is most commonly found. To help protect the species, skinks were released into the

Rotoroa Island Rotoroa Island (formerly known as Ruthe's Island) is an island to the east of Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. It is just over an hour away by ferry from the Auckland Ferry Terminal, Auckland ferry terminal. It covers . H ...

sanctuary in 2015.

Ecology

Moko skinks are generally found in coastal environments. They are active mainly by day and are often seen basking on warm rocks. They are also found under logs and stones and in clay banks. They eat small insects, spiders and similar invertebrates. They often emerge from vegetation edges to hunt on beaches and open rocky areas.

Reproduction

Like most of the New Zealand native skinks, the moko skink gives birth to live young, rather than laying eggs. Litters of between two and six are born between February and March.

References

External links

Oligosoma moco in the NZ Lizards DatabaseOligosoma moco in the Reptile DatabaseOligosoma moco at Tiritiri Matangi websiteMoko Skink at Te Ara website
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3011548 Oligosoma Endemic reptiles of New Zealand Reptiles described in 1839 Taxa named by André Marie Constant Duméril Taxa named by Gabriel Bibron