Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Green skink (Oligosoma chloronoton), recorded as Endangered
Green skink (Oligosoma chloronoton). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Green skink

Oligosoma chloronoton

The Southland green skink is a diurnal skink endemic to New Zealand.

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

Appearance

This large species of skink weighs up to 23.3g and has a snout-vent length of 125mm, with an intact tail slightly longer than this length. Individuals typically have a relatively blunt snout, with back (dorsal) colouring ranging from pink- or copper-brown to green, from that they take their name, with black or light green spots (ocelli) extending the length of the body from behind the head to the tail tip. The underside (ventral) colouring ranges from light to dark grey, often with pink hues, and may be of one solid colour or with black flecks.

It was first described by Hardy in 1977.

Range and habitat

Recent split within the Green skink species complex, has reduced the distribution of Southland green skinks to mainland Southland and a few islands off Stewart Island in Foveaux Strait. The Southland green skink is a diurnal skink endemic to New Zealand.

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

Breeding

Green skinks breed once per year, with 1-4 young produced in late summer (February-March).

In crisis

As of 2021 the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified the green skink as Nationally Critical under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, in part due to the reclassification of the species within the species complex and fewer animals observed in their reduced geographic area.

Green skink is 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 Green skink, Wikidata item Q3350577. 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 Barrier skink (Oligosoma judgei), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Barrier skink

Oligosoma judgei
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

Quick answers

What is Green skink?
Green skink is a skink in the family Scincidae — Oligosoma chloronoton.
What is the conservation status of Green skink?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Oligosoma chloronoton. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Green skink live?
Recent split within the Green skink species complex, has reduced the distribution of Southland green skinks to mainland Southland and a few islands off Stewart Island in Foveaux Strait.
Why is Green skink in crisis?
As of 2021 the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified the green skink as Nationally Critical under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, in part due to the reclassification of the species within the species complex and fewer animals observed in their reduced geographic area.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Oligosoma chloronoton?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Green skink a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.