Atlas species information

Habitat

• Herbfields, wetlands and shrublands from sea level to about 500 m above sea level.
• Lives on the ground, in sedges, and among very dense foliage, seldom more than 50 cm above the ground.
• Diurno-nocturnal, sun-basks on open ground or among foliage.
• Arboreal or terrestrial.

Description

• Brown, olive or bright green with a distinctive and complex herringbone pattern that includes a network of fine grey or white lines.
• Often with orange-brown or orange-red shadings.
• Undersurface pale grey-brown with brown or green speckles or mottling.
• Roof of mouth dark grey or blue, floor of mouth pink or greyish, and tongue dark grey to indigo.
• Eye bright yellow.
• Measures 53-71 mm from snout tip to vent.
• Tail equal or shorter than snout-vent length.

Distribution

• Stewart Island, south of Patersons Inlet.
• Can be abundant, but in general, sparse and difficult to detect.

Notes

• The species was dicovered in 1969.
• The genus part of the scientific name referes to the Maori word for ornamental lattice-work, often intricate and beautiful, referring to the sole species’ unique dorsal coloration pattern.
• The species part of the scientific name refers to Rakiura (Stewart Island).
• Notes about NZ threat classification (Hitchmough 2002): Extensive unsurveyed habitat; habitat preferences unknown; threats and trends unknown.
• Notes about 2008-10 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles (Hitchmough et al 2010): Decline inferred from presence of predators plus extremely low reproductive capacity.
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles: (Hitchmough, et al.
• 2012): If average generation time is estimated at 20 years, a trend of 30% decline over 3 generations is likely for this species.
• Fewer than 15 sub-populations are known, and the species has not been found at other sites of suitable habitat that have been surveyed.
• Based on the number of mature individuals at 2 well studied sites, none of the sub-populations are likely to exceed 1000 mature individuals.