Atlas species information

Habitat

• On or near shoreline in open habitats with driftwood, rocks, mat-forming vegetation or piles of seaweed.
• Occurs down to high tide mark.
• Diurnal, avid sun-basker.

Description

• Back various shades of grey, brown, greenish or blackish, sometimes with a dark mid-dorsal stripe (strip along spine).
• Sides usually with a broad dark stripe in upper areas, and sometimes bordered above (and less often below) by narrow pale stripe.
• Back and sides typically heavily flecked or speckled, giving overall impression of animal more speckled than striped.
• Some specimens entirely black.
• Throat grey or cream, often flecked with black.
• Belly grey, cream, reddish or black, occasionally lightly spotted.
• Measures up to 80 mm from snout tip to vent but often much smaller.
• Snout pointed.

Distribution

• Coastal North Island: west coast north of Muriwai Beach, east coast north of Gisborne, and on many islands.
• Often abundant.

Notes

• Named after English naval lieutenant Alexander Smith, who collected the type specimen in the 1840s.
• Notes about NZ threat classification (Hitchmough 2002): Decline on mainland offset by increases on islands.
• Notes about 2008-10 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles (Hitchmough et al 2010): Mainland populations declining; many secure and some recovering offshore island populations.
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Reptiles: (Hitchmough, et al.
• 2012): Very abundant on many secure islands.
• Some new locations, and has been translocated to some islands.
• Likely to still be declining on the mainland.