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| Oligosoma kahurangi Patterson & Hitchmough, 2021 |
Abstract
A new species of Oligosoma is described from a slate scree in montane tussock grassland in Kahurangi National Park, New Zealand, where it is currently known from a single small site. The new species (Oligosoma kahurangi sp. nov.) can be distinguished from all congeners by its extremely long tail, 36–38 mid-body scale rows, head length/head width ratio of 1.66, and colour pattern. It is part of the O. longipes Patterson species complex. The species is currently very poorly known but likely to be highly threatened, and we suggest listing as Nationally Critical (Data Poor, One Location) in New Zealand, and Data Deficient in the IUCN red-list. Predation by introduced mammals, particularly mice, is assumed to be a threat to its survival.
Keywords: Reptilia, morphology, taxonomy, Lonely Lake, Oligosoma kahurangi sp. nov., longipes, hoparatea, Kahurangi
Geoff B. Patterson and Rodney A. Hitchmough. 2021. A New Alpine Skink Species (Scincidae: Eugongylinae: Oligosoma) from Kahurangi National Park, New Zealand. Zootaxa. 4920(4); 495–508. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4920.4.2