Facts About Whitaker's skink
Whitaker’s skink, a threatened species of lizard from the Scincidae family, is endemic to New Zealand. Named after the New Zealand herpetologist Anthony Whitaker, these skinks inhabit coastal forests and scrublands. They seek out warm, moist areas during the day and emerge to forage on warm, humid nights.
Currently, Whitaker’s skinks are primarily found on two small predator-free islands and a mainland population at Pukerua Bay near Wellington. Fossil evidence suggests that they once had a much broader range across New Zealand.
To protect and increase their population, the Department of Conservation and the Friends of Mana Island are collaborating on a project aimed at establishing a sustainable population on Mana Island. Despite these efforts, the Department of Conservation classified Whitaker’s skink as Nationally Endangered as of 2012.