Subphylum Vertebrata Scientific name Cyclodina hardyi | Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Suborder Sauria Rank Species | |
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Hardy's skink, Cyclodina hardyi, is a species of skink of the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Poor Knights Islands of New Zealand.
Contents
Etymology
The specific name, hardyi, is in honor of Kiwi herpetologist Graham S. Hardy.
Geographic range
C. hardyi occurs on Tawhiti Rahi Island, Aorangi Island, Aorangaia Island, Archway Island, and two rock stacks (Stack “B,” Stack “C”).
Taxonomy
C. hardyi 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). More recently, the genus Cyclodina was merged with the genus Oligosoma (Chapple et al. 2009), resulting in a new combination for this species, Oligosoma hardyi.
Habitat and behaviour
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.
Description
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 (Oligosoma levidensum) from the Te Paki region.