Copper skink
| Copper skink | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Oligosoma |
| Species: | O. aeneum |
| Binomial name | |
|
Oligosoma aeneum (Girard 1857) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Cyclodina aenea |
|
Cyclodina aenea
The copper skink, Oligosoma aeneum, is a skink of the family Scincidae, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand.
The number of skink species endemic to New Zealand is not yet known, as advancing molecular studies indicate genetic divergence amongst many groups previously considered a single species. At present, there is estimated to be between 50-60 species, all of the family Scincidae. Following a taxonomic revision of the species complex in 2008, the Copper Skink was assigned the scientific name of Cyclodina aenea, and found to be both genetically and morphologically diverged from 2 other skink species which were previously considered synonymic.
The Copper Skink is New Zealand’s smallest indigenous skink, with a mature length of no more than 120mm. Like most skinks, it has smooth skin covering a long body, with relatively short legs. The tail makes up a considerable proportion of the body length, and tapers to a point. The skink is capable of shedding its tail to distract predators when threatened, before regenerating a new one – a process known as caudal autotomy. Copper skinks have small heads with round, lidded eyes, which they are capable of blinking.
The Copper Skink occupies a range of habitats, from forested areas to urban gardens. Like many skinks, it has a largely carnivorous diet and feeds mostly on small insects and other invertebrates. Copper skinks are viviparous, and mate in spring before giving birth to between 3-7 relatively large offspring in late summer.
The initial arrival of the Copper Skink (and indeed any other skink species) to New Zealand is somewhat uncertain, and is a topic of considerable debate. The level of genetic diversity between the Copper Skink and other indigenous species suggests strongly that they and their ancestors have been a part of New Zealand’s fauna for millions of years, allowing time for many early species to diverge and become distinct from each other. One 2009 study by Chapple, Ritchie and Daugherty, investigating “the origin and diversification” of New Zealand’s skinks, produced a molecular phylogeny by analysing genetic sequences of all but one living species. It suggested that all indigenous NZ skinks form a monophyletic group with a single ancestor, and that they initially arrived during the early Miocene era, by clinging to floating debris from New Caledonia. From this early colonisation they underwent adaptive radiation to fill a variety of ecological niches, spreading across New Zealand to form the numerous species known today.
...
Wikipedia