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Lizards Alive in Your Garden and Search‘Attractinglizardstoyourgarden.' to These Retreatsareundisturbed

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Lizards Alive in Your Garden and Search‘Attractinglizardstoyourgarden.' to These Retreatsareundisturbed 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 Food for lizards Auckland green gecko Copper butterfly Native lizards Lizards in your garden Insects Lizards are harmless creatures that help disperse seeds of some of our native plants and pollinate their flowers. • Ground cover plants, leaf litter and mulch will provide a New Zealand is home to more than 80 species of lizard. suitable humid habitat for lizards and their invertebrate prey There are two types of native lizard: geckos with baggy, as well as improving water retention for plants. velvety skin and broad heads, and skinks with sleek, • Minimise use of sprays to ensure insects thrive. smooth skin. Although our native tuatara may look like • Plants such as grasses and tussocks encourage insects. a lizard, it is the only remaining species of a much older group of reptile that roamed the earth with the dinosaurs. Berries and nectar Plant berry or nectar producing plants and try to provide a Encouraging lizards range of species for continuous supply of food throughout Every gardener can make a difference by creating habitats the year. Dylan van Winkel Rob Suitsted for lizards to flourish. Lizards need places to hide. They Arboreal geckos need dense, divaricating shrubs, such need cover when hunting, feeding and resting and they as Coprosma and Muehlenbeckia species, so they can need protection from extremes of heat and cold as well as esacpe from diurnal predators such as magpies, starlings from predators. and mynahs. • To encourage skinks in your garden, plant Table of flowering and fruiting food sources for lizards Ground dwelling lizards need crevices they can escape toe toe and Carex species. to from ground hunting nocturnal predators such as • Allow vines to grow up walls and embankments so Species March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April rats, mice, moreporks and cats. They like to squeeze into lizards can move three-dimensionally through your Hebe speciosa ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- === === === ------- ------- body-sized holes which can be provided by a pile of old garden. Kohekohe === === === === bricks, rocks or pipes. The material isn’t important but the Pūriri ------- ------- ------- === === === ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- number and size of crevices and cavities is. It is important • Plant thickly, including ground-covers. === === === === these retreats are undisturbed. • Provide lots of debris such as rotting logs, bark chips, Mānuka rock and boulder piles; and encourage plants to grow. Parsonsia heterophylla === === === === === === === === To learn how to make a lizard home, visit www.doc.govt.nz • Design stone walls, retaining walls or embankments Karo === === === === and search ‘attracting lizards to your garden.' that have plenty of small gaps, cracks and crevices. Kānuka === === === === === === • Keeping your garden free of rats and mice is of great Fuchsia procumbens benefit to lizards. Myoporum laetum === === === === Cabbage tree === === Pōhutukawa === === Pacific gecko Flax === === Nectar Rātā vine === === === === Kawakawa ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- === === ------- ------- Māhoe === === === === === === Cabbage tree === === Meuhlenbeckia species === === === === === === === | Lizards alive in your garden | Lizards alive in your garden Fuchsia procumbens === === === === === Berries Coprosma species === === === === Dylan van Winkel === Main flowering/fruiting season ------- Intermittent flowering/fruiting AUCKLAND COUNCIL AUCKLAND COUNCIL.
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