search methods

Improving search strategies for the cryptic New Zealand striped skink (Oligosoma striatum) through behavioural contrasts with the brown skink (Oligosoma zelandicum).

The striped skink (Oligosoma striatum) is a poorly known New Zealand endemic species rarely seen in the wild despite ongoing efforts to locate specimens. It is uncertain whether its threatened status is due to low numbers, or to unusual habitat use and activity patterns that make it difficult to detect. Anecdotal reports indicate the species may be partly arboreal. We carried out captive-based behavioural comparisons between striped skinks and the common terrestrial brown skink (Oligosoma zelandicum).