Visitor In My Plant Pot 004

The plague skink (Lampropholis delicata) is sometimes known as rainbow skink. They do look very similar to native skinks but are smaller, measuring about 3-4 cm long from nose to hind legs excluding the long thin tail. The skink is brown or grey-brown with a dark brown stripe down each side, and an iridescent rainbow or metallic sheen when seen in bright light.

Although the adults are smaller than native skinks, they look very similar but can be easily distinguished with one distinctive feature.

Plague skinks have one large scale on the top of their head, whereas New Zealand native skinks have two smaller scales.

Plague skinks reproduce rapidly – laying up to eight eggs three times per year (more than five times as fast as most native lizards) and mature in less than half the time of native lizards. They can reach high population densities in a relatively short time, competing with native lizards and other native fauna for food and habitat, and and increasing predation pressure on native invertebrates.

By comparison, most New Zealand skinks are long lived and only breed once per year at most. Some don’t even start breeding until they are around five years old.
Plague skinks are invasive pests that pose a threat to our rare native lizards. Plague skinks have already invaded other countries, for example Hawaii, where their impact has resulted in the serious decline of native skink species there.

Many of New Zealand’s approximately 35 native skink species are in decline, or, in some cases, have become locally extinct through introduced predators such as rats, cats, mustelids and hedgehogs. Plague skinks are yet another threat to our declining native lizard populations, by competing directly for food and habitat.

As the natural range of the plague skink includes the temperate climate of Tasmania they are well equipped to survive and spread throughout New Zealand and its offshore islands. Climate modelling suggests they would easily be able to establish in the South Island.