Celebrating two rare New Zealand skinks - grand and Otago!

Could you spot the difference between a grand and Otago skink?

These rare skinks are native to Otago and have a conservation threat status of ‘nationally critically endangered’ - inhabiting just eight per cent of their former range. A few years ago, Auckland Zoo was part of a coordinated breed for release programme for these skinks which were released at Mokomoko Sanctuary just outside Alexandra.

In this video ectotherms team leader Dave explains more about them, and what makes Aotearoa New Zealand’s lizards so fascinating. 

Check out our field guide and see how many lizards you can identify!