Skink surveying

Aotearoa is known for having a large diversity of manu/birds; however, it is also the land of the mokomoko/lizards (geckos and skinks). Although it can be difficult to tell individual species apart, skinks and geckos are quite different. Skinks have smooth shiny skin, narrow heads, and live mostly on the ground. They have been described as ‘snakes with legs’. Geckos have rough skin, wide heads and are skilled climbers.

Several species of skink have been spotted here at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, along with several species of gecko. Of these, only one species has been actively brought in, the spotted skink.

Over the next few weeks, the conservation team will be monitoring the spotted skink population around the Tuatara Research Area and the slope opposite Tūī Terrace. You might see some pitfall traps, which consist of a bucket dug so that it is flush with the ground. Each trap is baited with pear and checked every morning for mokomoko. One of our conservation interns will also be trialling some other methods for her research, including using tracking tunnels and funnel traps, to see if these methods might work for detecting the largest skink species in the valley.

An example of a funnel trap: the skink enters through either end to get to pear lure.

You can also help us with our mokomoko monitoring. We are keen for any reasonably clear photos of mokomoko that are taken over the next year, particularly from south of the upper dam. These photographs will provide us with information about what species are in Zealandia and where they are residing. If you have any photos that you are willing to share, we would greatly appreciate you sending them, along with the date/location where you took the photo, to conservation@visitzealandia.com.

A reminder as we head into our busy season that you must check your bags every time you enter the sanctuary in the Biosecurity Area. Rainbow skinks (an invasive skink species from Australia) were discovered for the first time in Wellington this year, and checking your bags is one way to keep the native mokomoko species inside the sanctuary safe.

Photo by Kristine Zipfel