Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Small-scaled skink (Oligosoma microlepis), recorded as Endangered
Small-scaled skink (Oligosoma microlepis). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Small-scaled skink

Oligosoma microlepis

Small-scaled skink is a skink in the family Scincidae — Oligosoma microlepis, recorded as Endangered and tied to New Zealand.

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

Appearance

The small-scaled skink is a skink in the family Scincidae.

Range and habitat

The first specimen was captured in 1971 on Motutaiko Island, Lake Taupō but it is now known to be endemic to the central North Island of New Zealand in small population pockets.

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

Diet

Most skinks forage in leaf litter or under cover. Burrowing species slip through sand or soil more than they climb.

In crisis

As of 2012 the Department of Conservation (DOC) classified the small-scaled skink as "Nationally Vulnerable" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

Small-scaled 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 Small-scaled skink, Wikidata item Q2707547. 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 Small-scaled skink?
Small-scaled skink is a skink in the family Scincidae — Oligosoma microlepis.
What is the conservation status of Small-scaled skink?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Oligosoma microlepis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Small-scaled skink live?
The first specimen was captured in 1971 on Motutaiko Island, Lake Taupō but it is now known to be endemic to the central North Island of New Zealand in small population pockets.
Why is Small-scaled skink in crisis?
The first specimen was captured in 1971 on Motutaiko Island, Lake Taupō but it is now known to be endemic to the central North Island of New Zealand in small population pockets.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Oligosoma microlepis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Small-scaled skink a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.