Cryptoblepharus novocaledonicus
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
REPTILIA |
SQUAMATA |
SCINCIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Cryptoblepharus novocaledonicus |
| Species Authority: |
Mertens, 1928 |
Common Name/s:
| English |
– |
New Caledonian Shore Skink |
| French |
– |
Scinque des Côtes de Nouvelle-Calédonie |
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| Synonym/s: |
Cryptoblepharus boutonii subspecies novo-caledonicus Mertens, 1928
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Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Least Concern
ver 3.1
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| Year Published: |
2011 |
| Assessor/s: |
Whitaker, A.H. & Sadlier, R.A. |
| Reviewer/s: |
Tognelli, M. & Cox, N.A. |
| Contributor/s: |
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Justification:
Cryptoblepharus novocaledonicus is listed as Least Concern because it is very widespread, generally abundant and its habitat is largely secure.
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Geographic Range
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| Range Description: |
This species is endemic to New Caledonia. Occurs on Grande Terre, Iles Belep (Ile Pott and Ile Art), Ile des Pins and Iles Loyauté (Maré, Lifou, Ouvéa), and almost all smaller islands. It occurs at elevations of up to 400 m. The extent of occurrence is approximately 18,500 km² and the area of occupancy is estimated to be <500 km².
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| Countries: |
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| Range Map: |
Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population
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| Population: |
There is no information on population size or trends for this species. Although there must have been some very localised habitat modifications that have affected this species, it is quick to colonize new habitat and man-made structures (breakwaters, wharves) and is unlikely to have suffered any significant change in distribution or abundance. In good habitat, population densities are exceptionally high.
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| Population Trend: |
Stable
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Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
This species is almost invariably confined to a narrow supralittoral zone on rocky coastlines, raised coral and stony beaches; often on mangroves; rarely on sandy beaches. Four exceptional populations are known that are away from the coast (up to 5 km inland and up to 400 m elevation) on barren cuirasse maquis habitat (Ile Yandé, Sommet Poum, Port Boise and Plaine des Lacs). It is diurnal, terrestrial or arboreal and is active in sunlight. It shelters in crevices in rocks or driftwood, within boulder or gravel beaches, beneath stones, and in crevices or beneath loose bark on standing trees. It basks and forages on the ground, rock faces and on trunks and branches of standing maquis trees (to canopy height).
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| Systems: |
Terrestrial |
| Major Threat(s): |
There are no significant threats to coastal populations of Cryptoblepharus novocaledonicus; nothing is likely to threaten their habitat on anything more than an extremely localized scale. Predation by introduced mammals (rodents and cats) is probably minimal, and it is unlikely that Wasmannia auropunctata would be an issue in such habitats. Two inland populations (Sommet Poum, Plaine des Lacs) are at very high risk of habitat loss from the expansion of mining where they occur and a third (Ile Yandé) is possibly at risk to future mining. The Port Boise population in woody maquis is at risk to wildfires, and all inland populations are expected to be at higher risk from predation by introduced mammals and the effects of invasive ants (Wasmannia auropunctata and, in the south, Anoplolepis gracilipes).
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Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
This species is protected in Province Nord under Code de l'environnement de la Province Nord (Délibération No. 306-2008/APN, 24 October 2008) and in Province Sud under Code de l'environnement de la Province Sud (Délibération No. 25-2009/APS, 20 March 2009). It is present in La réserve naturelle de l’île Leprédour and probably in any other reserves that include coastline (e.g. La réserve naturelle du Cap N’Dua and Réserve de Nature Sauvage de l’Ile de Pam). No conservation management is currently being undertaken.
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