Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Barrier skink (Oligosoma judgei), recorded as Critically Endangered
Barrier skink (Oligosoma judgei). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Barrier skink

Oligosoma judgei

Barrier skink is a skink in the family Scincidae — Oligosoma judgei. The species is endemic to New Zealand, where it lives in the alpine habitat of the Darran and Takitimu Mountains of Fiordland.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Oligosoma judgei
Recorded from
New Zealand
Taxonomy
Squamata · Scincidae · Oligosoma

Appearance

The holotype of O. Judgei, an adult male, has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 8 cm (3.1 in), but females may grow to 9 cm (3.5 in) SVL.

The Barrier skink was first collected in the 1960s but was overlooked until rediscovery by a pair of mountain climbers in 2005. The species was scientifically described in 2009.

Range and habitat

O. Judgei usually lives in rocky areas of grassland, at altitudes of 1,100–1,650 m (3,610–5,410 ft). The species is endemic to New Zealand, where it lives in the alpine habitat of the Darran and Takitimu Mountains of Fiordland. It is one of only two species of New Zealand skinks that live exclusively in the alpine zone, the other being the "Sinbad skink", Oligosoma pikitanga, a closely related species of similar appearance that is found in the same part of the South Island.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Habits

Barrier skink is terrestrial, saxicolous, diurnal, and heliothermic.

In crisis

The conservation status of this species, O. Judgei, was thought to be secure, primarily because invasive mammalian predator populations could not become established in the harsh climate of the high alpine zone where they lived and also, because vast areas of undisturbed habitat remain intact. Even so, in 2012 the Department of Conservation reclassified the Barrier Skink as Nationally Endangered under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

Barrier skink is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Barrier skink, Wikidata item Q3350582. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Oligosoma albornense (Oligosoma albornense), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Oligosoma albornense

Oligosoma albornense
Photograph of Oligosoma awakopaka (Oligosoma awakopaka), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Oligosoma awakopaka

Oligosoma awakopaka
Photograph of Burgan skink (Oligosoma burganae), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Burgan skink

Oligosoma burganae
Photograph of Oligosoma infrapunctatum (Oligosoma infrapunctatum), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Oligosoma infrapunctatum

Oligosoma infrapunctatum

Quick answers

What is Barrier skink?
The species is endemic to New Zealand, where it lives in the alpine habitat of the Darran and Takitimu Mountains of Fiordland.
What is the conservation status of Barrier skink?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Oligosoma judgei. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Barrier skink live?
The species is endemic to New Zealand, where it lives in the alpine habitat of the Darran and Takitimu Mountains of Fiordland.
Why is Barrier skink in crisis?
The conservation status of this species, O. Judgei, was thought to be secure, primarily because invasive mammalian predator populations could not become established in the harsh climate of the high alpine zone where they lived and also, because vast areas of undisturbed habitat remain intact.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Oligosoma judgei?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Barrier skink a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.