.::::: Lizards of the World - Scincomorpha - Oligosoma :::::.
Last update: 22 December, 2003

The genus Oligosoma is endemic to New Zealand. These skinks are small to medium in size.

Oligosoma Girard, 1857
(Type = Mocoa zelandica Gray, 1843)
Oligosoma acrinasum (Hardy, 1977)
Girardiscincus acrinasum (Hardy, 1977)
Leiolopisma acrinasum Hardy, 1977
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma chloronoton (Hardy, 1977)
Girardiscincus chloronoton (Hardy, 1977)
Leiolopisma chloronoton Hardy, 1977
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma fallai (McCann, 1955)
Leiolopisma fallai McCann, 1955
Lygosomella fallai (McCann, 1955)
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma gracilicorpus (Hardy, 1977)
Leiolopisma gracilicorpus Hardy, 1977
Lygosomella gracilicorpus (Hardy, 1977)
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma grande (Gray, 1845)
Girardiscincus grande (Gray, 1845)
Leiolopisma grande (Gray, 1845)
Leiolopisma grande grande (Gray, 1845)
Lygosoma grande (Gray, 1845)
Mocoa grandis Gray, 1845
Mocoa laxa Hutton, 1872
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma homalonotum (Boulenger, 1906)
Leiolopisma homalonotum (Boulenger, 1906)
Lygosoma homalonotum Boulenger, 1906
Lygosomella homalonotum (Boulenger, 1906)
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma inconspicuum (Patterson & Dougherty, 1990)
Leiolopisma inconspicuum Patterson & Daugherty, 1990
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma infrapunctatum (Boulenger, 1877)
Leiolopisma infrapunctatum (Boulenger, 1887)
Lygosoma infrapunctatum Boulenger, 1887
Oligosoma newmani Wells & Wellington, 1985
Oligosoma robinsoni Wells & Wellington, 1985
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma lineoocellatum (Duméril, 1851)
Leiolopisma festivum McCann, 1955
Leiolopisma lineoocellatum (Duméril, 1851)
Lygosoma lineoocellatum Duméril, 1851
Mocoa formosa Blyth, 1853
Oligosoma festivum (McCann, 1955)
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma longipes Patterson, 1997
 
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma maccanni (Patterson & Dougherty, 1990)
Leiolopisma maccanni Patterson & Daugherty, 1990
Leiolopisma nigriplantare maccanni Patterson & Daugherty, 1990
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma microlepis (Patterson & Dougherty, 1990)
Leiolopisma microlepis Patterson & Daugherty, 1990
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma moco (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
Leiolopisma moco (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
Lygosoma moco Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
Lygosomella moco (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
Mocoa owenii Gray, 1845
Distribution: New Zealand.
Oligosoma nigriplantare (Peters, 1874)
  • nigriplantare (Peters, 1874)
    Hinulia variegata Buller, 1871
    Leiolopisma dendyi (Boulenger, 1902)
    Leiolopisma nigriplantare (Peters, 1874)
    Leiolopisma turbotti McCann, 1955
    Lygosoma dendyi Boulenger, 1902
    Lygosoma nigriplantare Peters, 1874
  • polychrona (Patterson & Dougherty, 1990)
    Leiolopisma nigriplantare polychroma Patterson & Daugherty, 1990
    • Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma notosaurus (Patterson & Dougherty, 1990)
    Leiolopisma notosaurus Patterson & Daugherty, 1990
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma otagense (McCann, 1955)
    Girardiscincus otagoense (McCann, 1955)
    Leiolopisma grande otagoense McCann, 1955
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma smithi (Gray, 1845)
    Euprepes smithii (Gray, 1845)
    Leiolopisma aestuosa (Girard, 1857)
    Leiolopisma smithii (Gray, 1845)
    Leiolopisma smithii numerale McCann, 1955
    Leiolopisma smithii smithii (Gray, 1845)
    Lygosoma smithii (Gray, 1845)
    Lygosomella aestuosa Girard, 1857
    Lygosomella smithii (Gray, 1845)
    Mocoa smithi Gray, 1845
    Norbea isolata Hutton, 1872
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma stenotis (Patterson & Dougherty, 1990)
    Leiolopisma stenotis Patterson & Daugherty, 1990
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma striatum (Buller, 1871)
    Leiolopisma latilineatum McCann, 1955
    Leiolopisma striatum (Buller, 1871)
    Mocoa striata Buller, 1871
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma suteri (Boulenger, 1906)
    Leiolopisma suteri (Boulenger, 1906)
    Lygosoma suteri (Boulenger, 1906)
    Robbisaurus suteri (Boulenger, 1906)
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma waimatense (McCann, 1955)
    Girardiscincus waimatense (McCann, 1955)
    Leiolopisma grande waimatense McCann, 1955
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Oligosoma zelandicum (Gray, 1843)
    Leiolopisma zelandica (Gray, 1843)
    Leiolopisma zelandicum (Gray, 1843)
    Lygosoma zelandica (Gray, 1843)
    Mocoa zelandica (Gray, 1843)
    Oligosoma zelandica (Gray, 1843)
    Tiliqua zelandica Gray, 1843
    Distribution: New Zealand.
    Literature
    Daugherty, C.H., G.B. Patterson, C.J. Thorn & D.C. French. 1990. Differentiation of the members of the New Zealand Leiolopisma nigriplantare species complex (Lacertilia: Scincidae). Herpetol. Monogr., 4: 61-76.
    Eifler, D.A. & M.A. Eifler. 1999. Foraging Behavior and Spacing Patterns of the Lizard Oligosoma grande. J. Herpetol., 33(4): 632-639.
    Girard, C. 1858(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.
    Greer, A.E. & T. Whitaker. 2002. The Relationship Between Mass and Snout-Vent Length in the New Zealand Tor-Inhabiting Skink Oligosoma grande. Herpetol. Rev., 33(3): 170-171.
    Hardy, G.S. 1979. The karyotypes of two scincid lizards, and their bearing on relationships in genus Leiolopisma and its relatives (Scincidae: Lygosominae). New Zealand J. Zool., 6: 609-612.
    Neilson, K.A. 2002. Evaporative Water Loss as a Restriction on Habitat Use in Endangered New Zealand Endemic Skinks. J. Herpetol., 36(3): 342-348.
    Norris, T.B. 2003. Chromosomes of New Zealand Skinks, Genus Oligosoma. J. Herpetol., 37(2): 368-370.
    Patterson, G.B. & C.H. Daugherty. 1990. Four new species and one new subspecies of skinks, genus Leiolpisma (Reptilia: Lacertilia: Scincidae) from New Zealand. J. Royal Soc. New Zealand, 20: 65-84.
    Patterson, G.B. & C.H. Daugherty. 1995. Reinstatement of the genus Oligosoma (Reptilia: Lacertilia: Scincidae). J. Royal Soc. New Zealand, 25: 327-331.
    Stanley, M.C. 1998. Homing in the Skink, Oligosoma grande, within a Fragmented Habitat. J. Herpetol., 32(3): 461-464.
    Thompson, M.B. 2000. Oligosoma spp. Predation. Herpetol. Rev., 31(3): 175.
    Towns, D.R. & I. McFadden. 1993. Chevron Skink Recovery Plan (Leiolopisma homalonotum). Threatened Species Recovery Plan No. 5. Dept. Conserv., Wellington.
    Whitaker, A.H. 1996. Impact of agriculatural development on grand skink (Oligosoma grande) (Reptilia: Scincidae) populations at Macraes Flat, Otago, New Zealand. Sci. Conserv. (Dept. Conserv., Wellington, New Zealand), 33, 33 pp.
    Whitaker, A.H. 1998. Striped Skink (Oligosoma striatum) Recovery Plan. Threatened Species Recovery Plan No. 24. Biodiv. Recovery Unit, Dept. Conserv., Wellington.