New Zealand's first lizard reserve

Forest and Bird, Volume 16, Issue 2, 1 May 1985, Page 23

New Zealand's first lizard reserve

On 10 March, Forest and Bird’s National Executive inspected New Zealand’s first lizard reserve at Pukerua Bay, Wellington and have since congratulated Internal Affairs Minister, Peter Tapsell and his Wildlife Service on their efforts and progress in lizard conservation. Although our best known reptile, the tuatara, has been legally protected since 1895, no native lizards received similar status until 1981. There are 38 recognised species of lizards in New Zealand which divide into two scientific families; 16 species of geckos and 22 species of skinks. All but the four common species (two skinks, two geckos) are now legally protected and must not be collected in the wild. Unfortunately eleven species of lizard are classified in the New Zealand Red Data Book of Endangered Species — some of which featured in last years Post Office endangered species stamp series. Since assuming responsibility for lizards in 1981, Wildlife Service have appointed two staff to work full time on lizard conservation and have initiated studies to determine the conservation status of many of the rare or poorly known lizards such as the Great Barrier skink, our largest skink which grows to over 300 mm in length and the Otago and Grand skinks which are nearly as large and occur in the eastern South Island tussock country. However no trace has yet been found of the monster lizard, _ known from a single specimen, 600 mm long collected in the 19th century. Searches for it in inland Taranaki have so far

proved unsuccessful. At Pukerua Bay, Wildlife Service has purchased eight hectares of steep coastal shrubland and scree slopes, home to five lizard species including the very rare Whitaker’s skink Cyclodina whitakeri, a nocturnal species known to live only at Pukerua Bay and on two islands near the Coromandel Peninsula. Native coastal vegetation around Wellington has been devastated by roading, quarrying, housing development, and by fire and heavy grazing. It is hoped now Whitaker’s skink can have a secure future.