Facts about grand and Otago skinks

Grand skink (Oligosoma grande)

Grand and Otago skinks are two of New Zealand's most distinctive and impressive lizards. Known as giant skinks, they are our largest lizards, with Otago skinks growing up to 300mm in length and grand skinks 230mm.

Unlike many lizards overseas, both species are omnivorous, diurnal, and don't hibernate. They can live for up to 20 years in the wild, and like all lizards in this country, give birth to live young - two or three a year.

Both species are distinctively marked, which is why southern Māori know them as mokomoko. Grand skinks are black with yellowish flecks, and Otago skinks, black with grey, green, or yellowish blotches. These cryptic colour patterns provide great camouflage, amid the lichen-covered schist rocks they inhabit.

Otago skink (Oligosoma otagense)

Distribution and range

Both species are unique to Otago,and are two of New Zealand's rarest reptiles. They are now found in only eight per cent of their former range and have the highest possible threat status,'Nationally Critically Endangered'. Their original distribution was upland Otago from near the east coast to as far west as Lakes Hawea and Wanaka, and the Lindis Pass area to the north.

Until very recently it was feared that both grand and Otago skinks could be functionally extinct within a decade. That is that they would dwindle away to a point from which they could not return. Thanks to recent research breakthrough, it is thought that fate will not now be the case.

Ecology and habitat

The two species share similar habitat, distribution, habits and diet; feeding on a wide variety of insects, fleshy fruits, and even smaller lizards.

Typical Otago tussock and tor skink
habitat.

Today's populations are found in small occasional pockets within Otago. By far the strongest numbers are found in the Macraes area in the east, particularly in the DOC managed Macraes Conservation Area where important management research has been carried out.

Grand and Otago skinks live in very specific habitats - secure, sheltered crevices in large outcrops of schist, known as tors.

They're exceptionally well adapted to the cold upland, tussock and tor landscape they belong to. Even when there's snow on the ground and icicles on their rocks, if the sun is out, they'll bask on a rock ledge.

Adult Otago skink and juvenile basking
outside their creviced schist habitat

Survival

Monitoring suggests there may be somewhere around 2000 of each species currently alive. There are no suitable of-shore island habitats within or outside their natural range to offer them security.

Ensuring that both species survive on mainland New Zealand is imperative. Achieving that is the main aim of DOC's Grand and Otago Skink Recovery Team, part of the Coastal Otago Area Office.

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