View source for Oligosoma

{{Short description|Genus of lizards}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = ''Oligosoma''
| image = Otago skink.jpg
| image_caption = [[Otago skink]], ''Oligosoma otagense''
| taxon = Oligosoma
| authority = [[Charles Frédéric Girard|Girard]], 1857
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = Over 50, see text.
}}

'''''Oligosoma''''' is a [[genus]] of small to medium-sized [[skink]]s ([[family (biology)|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.; [[:fr:Edwin Nicholos Arnold|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. {{doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011}} (HTML abstract)</ref>

==Species==
The currently described species<ref>{{BioRef|reptileDB|genus=Oligosoma|access-date=10 October 2010}}</ref> are:
*''[[Oligosoma acrinasum]]'' {{small|([[species:Graham S. Hardy|Hardy]], 1977)}} – Fiordland skink
*''[[Oligosoma aeneum]]'' {{small|([[Charles Frédéric Girard|Girard]], 1858)}} – copper skink
*''[[Oligosoma alani]]'' {{small|([[Joan Robb|Robb]], 1970)}} – Alan's skink, robust skink
*''[[Oligosoma albornense]]'' {{small|[[species:Sabine Melzer|Melzer]], [[species:Rodney Arthur Hitchmough|Hitchmough]], [[species:Trent Bell|Bell]], [[species:David G. Chapple|D. Chapple]] & [[species:Geoff B. Patterson|Patterson]], 2019}} – Alborn skink
*''[[Oligosoma aureocola]]'' {{small|[[species:Carey Knox|Knox]], Patterson & D. Chapple, 2023}} – Mataura skink
*''[[Oligosoma auroraense]]'' {{small|Melzer, Hitchmough, Bell, D. Chapple & Patterson, 2019}} – Hawke's Bay skink, eastern speckled skink 
*''[[Oligosoma awakopaka]]'' {{small|[[species:Tony Jewell|Jewell]], 2017}} – Awakopaka skink
*''[[Oligosoma burganae]]'' {{small|D. Chapple et al., 2011}} – Burgan skink
*''[[Oligosoma chloronoton]]'' {{small|(Hardy, 1977)}} – green skink
*''[[Oligosoma elium]]'' {{small|Melzer, Bell & Patterson, 2017}} – Marlborough spotted skink
*''[[Oligosoma eludens]]'' {{small|Knox, Chapple & Bell, 2024}} – Rockhopper skink
*''[[Oligosoma fallai]]'' {{small|([[Charles McCann|McCann]], 1955)}} – Falla's skink, Three Kings skink
*''[[Oligosoma grande]]'' {{small|([[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1845)}} – grand skink
*''[[Oligosoma hardyi]]'' {{small|(D. Chapple, Patterson, Bell & [[species:Charles H. Daugherty|Daugherty]], 2008)}} – Hardy's skink
*''[[Oligosoma homalonotum]]'' {{small|([[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1906)}} – chevron skink
*''[[Oligosoma hoparatea]]'' {{small|[[Anthony Whitaker|Whitaker]], D. Chapple, Hitchmough, [[Marieke Lettink|Lettink]] & Patterson, 2018}} – Pukuma skink, white-bellied skink 
*''[[Oligosoma inconspicuum]]'' {{small|(Patterson & Daugherty, 1990)}} – cryptic skink
*''[[Oligosoma infrapunctatum]]'' {{small|(Boulenger, 1887)}} – cobble skink, speckled skink 
*''[[Oligosoma judgei]]'' {{small|Patterson & Bell, 2009}} – barrier skink 
*''[[Oligosoma kahurangi]]'' {{small|Patterson & Hitchmough, 2021}}
*''[[Oligosoma kakerakau]]'' {{small|[[species:Benjamin P. Barr|Barr]], D. Chapple, Hitchmough, Patterson & Ngatiwai Trust Board, 2021}}
*''[[Oligosoma kokowai]]'' {{small|Melzer, Bell & Patterson, 2017}} – northern spotted skink
*''[[Oligosoma levidensum]]'' {{small|(D. Chapple, Patterson, Bell & Daugherty, 2008)}} – slight skink
*''[[Oligosoma lichenigerum]]'' {{small|([[Arthur O'Shaughnessy|O’Shaughnessy]], 1874)}} – Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands skink
*''[[Oligosoma lineoocellatum]]'' {{small|([[Auguste Duméril|A.H.A. Duméril]], 1851)}} – Canterbury spotted skink 
*''[[Oligosoma longipes]]'' {{small|Patterson, 1997}} – long-toed skink
*''[[Oligosoma maccanni]]'' {{small|(Hardy, 1977)}} – McCann's skink 
*''[[Oligosoma macgregori]]'' {{small|(Robb, 1975)}} – MacGregor's skink
*''[[Oligosoma microlepis]]'' {{small|(Patterson & Daugherty, 1990)}} – small-scaled skink
*''[[Oligosoma moco]]'' {{small|([[André Marie Constant Duméril|A.M.C. Duméril]] & [[Gabriel Bibron|Bibron]], 1839)}} – Moko skink
*''[[Oligosoma newmani]]'' {{small|([[Richard W. Wells|Wells]] & [[Wells and Wellington affair|Wellington]], 1985)}} – Newman's speckled skink
*''[[Oligosoma nigriplantare]]'' {{small|([[Wilhelm Peters|W. Peters]], 1874)}} – Chatham Islands skink 
*''[[Oligosoma northlandi]]'' {{small|([[Trevor H. Worthy|Worthy]], 1991)}} – Northland skink (extinct)
*''[[Oligosoma notosaurus]]'' {{small|(Patterson & Daugherty, 1990)}} – southern skink
*''[[Oligosoma oliveri]]'' {{small|(McCann, 1955)}} – marbled skink, Oliver's New Zealand skink 
*''[[Oligosoma ornatum]]'' {{small|(Gray, 1843)}} – Gray's ornate skink 
*''[[Oligosoma otagense]]'' {{small|(McCann, 1955)}} – Otago skink 
*''[[Oligosoma pachysomaticum]]'' {{small|(Robb, 1975)}} – Coromandel skink
*''[[Oligosoma pikitanga]]'' {{small|Bell & Patterson, 2008}} – Sinbad skink
*''[[Oligosoma polychroma]]'' {{small|Patterson & Daugherty, 1990}} – common New Zealand skink, southern grass skink
*''[[Oligosoma prasinum]]'' {{small|Melzer, Bell & Patterson, 2017}} – Mackenzie skink 
*''[[Oligosoma repens]]'' {{small|D. Chapple, Bell, [[species:Stephanie N.J. Chapple|S. Chapple]], [[species:Kimberly A. Miller|Miller]], Daugherty & Patterson, 2011}} – Eyres skink
*''[[Oligosoma robinsoni]]'' {{small|(Wells & Wellington, 1985)}} – crenulate skink, Hokitika skink, cobble skink 
*''[[Oligosoma roimata]]'' {{small|Patterson, Hitchmough & D. Chapple, 2013}} – Aorangi skink
*''[[Oligosoma salmo]]'' {{small|Melzer, Hitchmough, Bell, D. Chapple & Patterson, 2019}} – Chesterfield skink
*''[[Oligosoma smithi]]'' {{small|(Gray, 1845)}} – shore skink
*''[[Oligosoma stenotis]]'' {{small|(Patterson & Daugherty, 1994)}} – small-eared skink
*''[[Oligosoma striatum]]'' {{small|([[Walter Buller|Buller]], 1871)}} – striped skink
*''[[Oligosoma suteri]]'' {{small|(Boulenger, 1906)}} – egg-laying skink, Suter's skink
*''[[Oligosoma taumakae]]'' {{small|D. Chapple & Patterson, 2007}} – Open Bay Islands skink, Taumaka skink 
*''[[Oligosoma tekakahu]]'' {{small|D. Chapple, Bell, S. Chapple, Miller, Daugherty & Patterson, 2011}} – Te Kakahu skink 
*''[[Oligosoma toka]]'' {{small|D. Chapple, Bell, S. Chapple, Miller, Daugherty & Patterson, 2011}} – Nevis skink
*''[[Oligosoma townsi]]'' {{small|(D. Chapple, Patterson, [[species:Dianne M. Gleeson|Gleeson]], Daugherty & [[species:Peter A. Ritchie|Ritchie]], 2008)}} – Mokohinau skink
*''[[Oligosoma waimatense]]'' {{small|(McCann, 1955)}} – scree skink
*''[[Oligosoma whitakeri]]'' {{small|(Hardy, 1977)}} – [[Anthony Whitaker|Whitaker's]] New Zealand skink
*''[[Oligosoma zelandicum]]'' {{small|(Gray, 1843)}} – brown skink

A [[Binomial nomenclature|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>{{cite journal|last1=Chapple|first1=David G.|last2=Ritchie|first2=Peter A.|last3=Daugherty|first3=Charles H.|title=Origin, diversification, and systematics of the New Zealand skink fauna (Reptilia: Scincidae)|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|date=August 2009|volume=52|issue=2|pages=470–487|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2009.03.021|pmid=19345273}}</ref> has merged the genus ''Cyclodina'' with ''Oligosoma,'' rendering ''Cyclodina'' an obsolete [[taxon]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[[Charles Frédéric Girard|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.&nbsp;196).
*Jewell, T. (2011) ''A Photographic Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand''. Auckland: New Holland (revised edition).

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Oligosoma}}
*[http://www.doc.govt.nz/documents/science-and-technical/TSRP48.pdf North Island ''Oligosoma'' spp. skink recovery plan 2002–2012]
*[https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs35entire.pdf Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2021]

{{New Zealand Reptiles}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q767155}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Oligosoma| ]]
[[Category:Endemic reptiles of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Lizard genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Charles Frédéric Girard]]