Plague Skink

The plague skink is an introduced skink that is abundant in many northern urban areas. It is a slim grey-brown skink with a very long tail, dark side stripe and plain cream belly; it is more gregarious and conspicuous than the native copper skink.

Since appearing at Ōtāhuhu rail yards in the 1960s, it has spread across the northern North Island and formed satellite populations farther south. It basks and hunts invertebrates by day; females lay three to seven eggs and communal nests may contain more than 200.

Gardens, wood piles and track edges around Auckland and other northern centres commonly hold it.