Post by Patrick Kubeja on Aug 25, 2004 9:36:25 GMT -5
New Skink Species Found In Fiordland,
Seventh Lizard Species Found
In 30 Months
Based on article by Mike Scott,
Otaga Daily Times,
New Zealand, Aug. 18, 2004
Seventh Lizard Species Found
In 30 Months
Based on article by Mike Scott,
Otaga Daily Times,
New Zealand, Aug. 18, 2004
A new species of skink was discovered by Department of Conservation in Sinbad Valley, near Milford Sound. Now called the black Sinbad Valley skink, is a large for a skink with green spots on the back, salmon-pink spots on the sides, and for a skink, unusually long toes and tail. During the past 30 months, seven new species had been discovered in New Zealand, including three in the South Island just during the past 18 months. These three are, the Sinbad skink, the Te Kakahu skink which was discovered in Fiordland and the Moke Valley gecko which was found in the South Island high country in 2002, New Zealand with its unique native plants and animals, is also home to a wider variety of lizards than almost any other temperate country in the world. New Zealand has at least 80 species and subspecies of lizard that they know of and are still finding more. Attempts would be made to locate more examples of the Sinbad skink to make sure it was not an anomaly. Only one was found in March. The distinctively colored and patterned Te Kakahu skink was found on a Fiordland island and only in a small area of low open vegetation at the top of a cliff. The Moke Valley gecko was discovered during a tenure review of Crown pastoral land. A large, robust animal, genetic tests have established it is different from a similar gecko species discovered near Wanaka.
