Geckos fall into two groups: bright green geckos, Copper skink (Oligosoma aeneum) Threats to lizards or occasionally bright yellow, which are diurnal This is one of the more common • Predators – rats, mice, moreporks, cats, magpies, (active during the day), and grey or brown geckos and widespread native skinks. with mottled, striped or banded patterns which Glossy in texture, it grows up to mynahs, starlings and kingfisher. are nocturnal (active at night). Geckos give birth 10cm long, and is mainly active at • Habitat loss – vegetation clearance, night. This skink does not lay eggs to live young rather than laying eggs, are debris removal, insecticides. Lizards alive but has live young. long-lived – up to 40 years and are omnivores, • Rainbow skink (Lampropholis delicata) – this small egg-laying skink is greenish-brown or bronze with a eating insects, berries and nectar. The geckos you in your garden Dylan van Winkel shiny iridescence which gives it its name. It comes may be lucky enough to see in your garden are: from eastern Australia, accidentally introduced in the 1960s. There are concerns that it may become Auckland green gecko Ornate skink (Oligosoma ornatum) a problem as it has in Hawaii, where it is called a (Naultinus elegans elegans) The ornate skink can be distinguished “plague skink” and may out-compete the copper from the copper skink by its skink. Eggs have been found in potting mix and The Auckland green gecko is bright attractive white or yellowish and under plant pots. Please avoid using soil and plant green, sometimes with rows of yellow black “teardrop” marking below each material contaminated with rainbow skink eggs in or cream blotches, or occasionally eye. They like deep leaf litter, ground your garden. all bright yellow. The blue tongue covers such as creeping fuchsia or is a distinguishing feature as is the rock piles and are highly territorial. versatile tail used as a fifth limb for Ornate skinks are mostly active All native lizards are protected under the Wildlife Act, balance and climbing. These geckos Dylan van Winkel around dawn and dusk (crepuscular) and may not be captured, collected or deliberately are arboreal, frequenting bushy plants seldom emerging from cover. Dylan van Winkel and epiphytes. Stands of mānuka and disturbed without a permit issued by the Department kānuka are favoured locations. of Conservation. Generally lizards may only be kept Moko skink (Oligosoma moco) in captivity or collected for scientific, educational or Forest gecko (Mokopirirakau granulatus) The Moko skink is found on offshore advocacy purposes. Getting to know the habits of The forest gecko’s colour ranges islands but is also present on the these secretive creatures in your own lizard-friendly from dark brown to pale grey, even mainland in isolated populations, garden is a far more rewarding alternative. green/yellow. This enables the the most significant in the Auckland gecko to blend in with it’s region is Shakespear Regional Park. surroundings, making them difficult This skink is coppery or olive brown to see. They are active at night with dark brown stripe aong the side, Useful links when they feed and will occasionally edged with cream or white. bask in the sun during the day. Dylan van Winkel www.reptiles.org.nz Dylan van Winkel www.srarnz.org.nz/lizardtoolkit Pacific gecko( Dactylconemis pacificus) Shore skink (Oligosoma smithi) www.doc.govt.nz and search for; Skinks and geckos factsheet; Lizards in your garden factsheet; and Wide spread throughout the Restricted to the coast where they rainbow skink factsheet. North Island, the Pacific gecko lives forage on the shoreline. Found widely on the ground but will climb trees on the mainland. Colour varies from to forage. This gecko has mottled entirely black to shades of grey, grey/brown shades. brown, green and sometime speckled. AC-0995

Dylan van Winkel Dylan van Winkel Photo: Forest gecko – Dylan van Winkel AUCKLAND COUNCIL | Lizards alive in your garden and search‘attractinglizardstoyourgarden.' To these retreatsareundisturbed. number andsizeofcrevicescavitiesis.Itisimportant bricks, rocksorpipes.Thematerialisn’timportantbutthe body-sized holeswhichcanbeprovidedbyapileofold rats, mice,moreporksandcats.Theyliketosqueezeinto to fromgroundhuntingnocturnalpredatorssuchas Ground dwellinglizardsneedcrevicestheycanescape from predators. need protectionfromextremesofheatandcoldaswell need coverwhenhunting,feedingandrestingthey for lizardstoflourish.Lizardsneedplaceshide.They Every gardenercanmakeadifferencebycreatinghabitats Encouraging lizards group ofreptilethatroamedtheearthwithdinosaurs. a lizard,itistheonlyremainingspeciesofmucholder smooth skin.Althoughournativetuataramaylooklike velvety skinandbroadheads,skinkswithsleek, There aretwotypesofnativelizard:geckoswithbaggy, New Zealandishometomorethan80speciesoflizard. of someournativeplantsandpollinatetheirflowers. Lizards areharmlesscreaturesthathelpdisperseseeds Native lizards Dylan vanWinkel Pacific gecko learn how to make a lizard home, visit www.doc.govt.nz Keepingyourgardenfreeofratsandmiceisgreat • Designstonewalls,retainingwallsorembankments • Providelotsofdebrissuchasrottinglogs,barkchips, • Plantthickly,including ground-covers. • Allowvinestogrowup wallsandembankmentsso • Toencourageskinksin yourgarden,plant • and mynahs. esacpe fromdiurnalpredatorssuchasmagpies,starlings as CoprosmaandMuehlenbeckiaspecies,sotheycan Arboreal geckosneeddense,divaricatingshrubs,such Lizards inyourgarden benefit tolizards. that haveplentyofsmallgaps,cracksandcrevices. rock andboulderpiles;encourageplantstogrow. garden. lizards canmovethree-dimensionallythroughyour toe andCarexspecies.

AUCKLAND COUNCIL | Lizards alive in your garden Table offloweringandfruitingfoodsourcesforlizards Plantssuchasgrasses andtussocksencourageinsects. • Minimiseuseofsprays toensureinsectsthrive. • Groundcoverplants, leaflitterandmulchwillprovidea • Insects Food forlizards Berries Nectar the year. range ofspeciesforcontinuoussupplyfoodthroughout Plant berryornectarproducingplantsandtrytoprovidea Berries andnectar as wellimprovingwaterretentionforplants. suitable humidhabitatforlizardsandtheirinvertebrateprey Flax Cabbage tree Myoporum laetum Fuchsia procumbens Rātā vine Meuhlenbeckia species Karo Coprosma species Cabbage tree Fuchsia procumbens Hebe speciosa Species Kawakawa Pūriri Kohekohe Mānuka Māhoe Pōhutukawa Parsonsia heterophylla Kānuka March ======------April ======------May === ------June ------======------July === ------Aug ======------

Sept ======------Dylan vanWinkel Auckland greengecko ======Oct ------Nov ======------Dec ======------======------Jan Rob Suitsted Copper butterfly ------======------Feb

Intermittent flowering/fruiting Main flowering/fruiting season March ======------April ======------