Oligosoma

Oligosoma is a genus of small to medium-sized skinks (family Scincidae) found only in New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. Oligosoma had previously been found to belong to the Eugongylus group of genera in the subfamily Lygosominae; the Australian genus Bassiana appears to be fairly closely related.<ref>Austin, J.J.; Arnold, E.N. (2006). Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39 (2): 503–511. Template:Doi (HTML abstract)</ref>

Species

The currently described species<ref>Template:BioRef</ref> are:

• Oligosoma acrinasum Template:Small – Fiordland skink
• Oligosoma aeneum Template:Small – copper skink
• Oligosoma alani Template:Small – Alan's skink, robust skink
• Oligosoma albornense Template:Small – Alborn skink
• Oligosoma aureocola Template:Small – Mataura skink
• Oligosoma auroraense Template:Small – Hawke's Bay skink, eastern speckled skink
• Oligosoma awakopaka Template:Small – Awakopaka skink
• Oligosoma burganae Template:Small – Burgan skink
• Oligosoma chloronoton Template:Small – green skink
• Oligosoma elium Template:Small – Marlborough spotted skink
• Oligosoma eludens Template:Small – Rockhopper skink
• Oligosoma fallai Template:Small – Falla's skink, Three Kings skink
• Oligosoma grande Template:Small – grand skink
• Oligosoma hardyi Template:Small – Hardy's skink
• Oligosoma homalonotum Template:Small – chevron skink
• Oligosoma hoparatea Template:Small – Pukuma skink, white-bellied skink
• Oligosoma inconspicuum Template:Small – cryptic skink
• Oligosoma infrapunctatum Template:Small – cobble skink, speckled skink
• Oligosoma judgei Template:Small – barrier skink
• Oligosoma kahurangi Template:Small
• Oligosoma kakerakau Template:Small
• Oligosoma kokowai Template:Small – northern spotted skink
• Oligosoma levidensum Template:Small – slight skink
• Oligosoma lichenigerum Template:Small – Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands skink
• Oligosoma lineoocellatum Template:Small – Canterbury spotted skink
• Oligosoma longipes Template:Small – long-toed skink
• Oligosoma maccanni Template:Small – McCann's skink
• Oligosoma macgregori Template:Small – MacGregor's skink
• Oligosoma microlepis Template:Small – small-scaled skink
• Oligosoma moco Template:Small – Moko skink
• Oligosoma newmani Template:Small – Newman's speckled skink
• Oligosoma nigriplantare Template:Small – Chatham Islands skink
• Oligosoma northlandi Template:Small – Northland skink (extinct)
• Oligosoma notosaurus Template:Small – southern skink
• Oligosoma oliveri Template:Small – marbled skink, Oliver's New Zealand skink
• Oligosoma ornatum Template:Small – Gray's ornate skink
• Oligosoma otagense Template:Small – Otago skink
• Oligosoma pachysomaticum Template:Small – Coromandel skink
• Oligosoma pikitanga Template:Small – Sinbad skink
• Oligosoma polychroma Template:Small – common New Zealand skink, southern grass skink
• Oligosoma prasinum Template:Small – Mackenzie skink
• Oligosoma repens Template:Small – Eyres skink
• Oligosoma robinsoni Template:Small – crenulate skink, Hokitika skink, cobble skink
• Oligosoma roimata Template:Small – Aorangi skink
• Oligosoma salmo Template:Small – Chesterfield skink
• Oligosoma smithi Template:Small – shore skink
• Oligosoma stenotis Template:Small – small-eared skink
• Oligosoma striatum Template:Small – striped skink
• Oligosoma suteri Template:Small – egg-laying skink, Suter's skink
• Oligosoma taumakae Template:Small – Open Bay Islands skink, Taumaka skink
• Oligosoma tekakahu Template:Small – Te Kakahu skink
• Oligosoma toka Template:Small – Nevis skink
• Oligosoma townsi Template:Small – Mokohinau skink
• Oligosoma waimatense Template:Small – scree skink
• Oligosoma whitakeri Template:Small – Whitaker's New Zealand skink
• Oligosoma zelandicum Template:Small – brown skink

A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Oligosoma.

Numerous undescribed species also exist within the genus, including the cobble skink and tātahi skink.

Merger of Oligosoma and Cyclodina

A molecular phylogenetic analysis<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> has merged the genus Cyclodina with Oligosoma, rendering Cyclodina an obsolete taxon.

Further reading

• Girard, C. (1857). "Descriptions of some new Reptiles, collected by the United States Exploring Expedition, under the command of Capt. Charles Wilkes, U. S. N. Fourth Part.— Including the species of Saurians, exotic to North America". Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 9: 195–199. (Oligosoma, new genus, p. 196).
• Jewell, T. (2011) A Photographic Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand. Auckland: New Holland (revised edition).

External links

• North Island Oligosoma spp. skink recovery plan 2002–2012
• Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2021