RAINBOW SKINK
- Rainbow Skink also known as Lamprophoils delicata and Plauge Skink is a small little Lizard in New Zealand introduced from Australia, they are smaller than our native Skinks but still very similar!
The Rainbow Skink was first found in New Zealand in the 1960's accidentally at cargo in Auckland. Now they are all over the North Island in Northland Waikato and the Bay Of Plenty, and also Wanganui, Palmerston North and Foxton Beach.
Rainbow Skinks are native to Australia. The Rainbow Skink is about 3 to 4 centimetres long from their nose to their back legs not including their long tail. The Rainbow Skink is brown and grey in the dark with a dark line down each side but in the sun they are metallic but still with the dark line down the side of its body.
HABITAT
You will find a Rainbow Skink in moist areas, under vegetation, litter, rocks and logs.
You will mostly find Rainbow Skinks roaming around, gardens, commercial areas, industrial sites, garden centres and waste grounds.
Rainbow Skinks are prolific breeders, if you find a Rainbow Skinks nest there will probably be twenty, to one hundred eggs which are eight to ten millimeters. Their eggs are an oval shape with a soft leathery shell.
You will mostly find Rainbow Skinks roaming around, gardens, commercial areas, industrial sites, garden centres and waste grounds.
Rainbow Skinks are prolific breeders, if you find a Rainbow Skinks nest there will probably be twenty, to one hundred eggs which are eight to ten millimeters. Their eggs are an oval shape with a soft leathery shell.
DIET
Rainbow Skinks are omnivores so that means they are like us, they eat both plants and animals. Rainbow Skinks eat larger insects including Crickets, Snails, Meal Worms, Earth Worms, Flowers, Caterpillars, Beetles, Spiders, Grasshoppers, small Lizards and Fruit.
So that is some of the resons why Rainbow Skinks affect the New Zealand ecosystems (because they are eating animals, insects and nature that is helping the world and doing their part in the New Zealand food chain!)
So that is some of the resons why Rainbow Skinks affect the New Zealand ecosystems (because they are eating animals, insects and nature that is helping the world and doing their part in the New Zealand food chain!)
HISTORY
FUN FACTS:
- Rainbow Skinks are native to Australia,but a pest to New Zealand!
- They are cold blooded!
- Lampropholis Delicata is there scientific name for the Rainbow Skink also known as a Plague Skink!
- They have millions of relations!
- Rainbow Skinks have a large scale on their head but the New Zealand Skink has two smaller scales on its head!
- Most New Zealand Skinks only breed once per year at the most, and some don't even start breeding until they are five years of age!)
- On some Skinks, Lizards, and Geckos if you, or a predator try's to grab them by the tail, it's tail will come off, but don't worry it's a defensive mechanism, oh and if your worried about it's tail not growing back don't be because it will quickly recover,and grow back!
RAINBOW SKINKS RELATIONS:
They belong to the Gecko and Lizard family.
Types of Skinks:
Rainbow Skink, Blue Tongued Skink, Common garden Skink, Grand Skink, Otago Skink, Copper Skink, Three Kings Skink and the striped Skink, but there is thousands more species and heaps more different names for these Skinks!
Types of Lizards and Geckos:
Boyds Rainforest Dragon, Chameleon, Collared, Common Iguana, basilisk, Tuatara, Chuckwalla, Thorny Devil, Flying Dragon Lizard, Bearded Dragon Lizard, Gecko, Frilled Lizard and the Belize, but there is thousands more species and heaps more different names for these Lizards and Geckos!
They belong to the Gecko and Lizard family.
Types of Skinks:
Rainbow Skink, Blue Tongued Skink, Common garden Skink, Grand Skink, Otago Skink, Copper Skink, Three Kings Skink and the striped Skink, but there is thousands more species and heaps more different names for these Skinks!
Types of Lizards and Geckos:
Boyds Rainforest Dragon, Chameleon, Collared, Common Iguana, basilisk, Tuatara, Chuckwalla, Thorny Devil, Flying Dragon Lizard, Bearded Dragon Lizard, Gecko, Frilled Lizard and the Belize, but there is thousands more species and heaps more different names for these Lizards and Geckos!