Hardy's skink

Hardy's skink
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Cyclodina
Species:	C. hardyi
Binomial name
Cyclodina hardyi Chapple et al. 2008

Hardy's skink, Cyclodina hardyi, is a skink of the family Scincidae, endemic to the Poor Knights Islands of New Zealand. It occurs on Tawhiti Rahi Island, Aorangi Island, Aorangaia Island, Archway Island, and two rock stacks (Stack “B,” Stack “C”). It closely resembles the copper skink, Cyclodina aenea, and was considered to be a member of this species until recently when it was described as a new species using morphological, allozyme and DNA methods (Chapple et al. 2008). It is most commonly found in areas where there is ground cover near flax and scrub habitat. It is crepuscular, seeking refuge during the day under stones or thick vegetation.

Cyclodina hardyi can be distinguished from all other Cyclodina species, including the other members of the C. aenea species complex, by having suboculars three and four separated by the fifth supralabial under the eye. In addition, the midbody scale count is greater than that of the slight skink from the Te Paki region.

References

• Chapple, Patterson, Bell & Daugherty (2008) Taxonomic Revision of the Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea, Squamata, Scincidea) Species Complex with descriptions of two new species. Journal of Herpetology 42 3 pp 437 – 452