- Narrow-Bodied Skink
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Narrow-bodied skink Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia (paraphyletic) (unranked): Sauria Order: Squamata (paraphyletic) Infraorder: Scincomorpha Family: Scincidae Subfamily: Lygosominae Genus: Oligosoma Species: O. gracilicorpus Binomial name Oligosoma gracilicorpus
(Hardy, 1977)Synonyms Leiolopisma gracilicorpus Hardy, 1977
The narrow-bodied skink, Oligosoma gracilicorpus, is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. Only the holotype specimen (AIM Rep 31.1) is known, collected before 1955 on the North Island of New Zealand, probably in the vicinity of the Hokianga; it is possibly a juvenile. If so, this species could be the kawekaweau or kaweau (sometimes written koeau) of Māori lore, which by others is identified with a tuatara though its description does not match that animal well.(Hardy 1977)
Classified as "data deficient" by the IUCN (ARAG 1996), the New Zealand Department of Conservation treats it as extinct.
References
- Australasian Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Group (1996). Oligosoma gracilicorpus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 10 Jul 2007.
- Hardy, Graham S. (1977): The New Zealand Scincidae (Reptilia: Lacertilia); a taxonomic and zoogeographic study. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 4: 221-325. PDF fulltext
Categories:- IUCN Red List data deficient species
- Oligosoma
- Reptiles of New Zealand
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