The robust skink, Oligosoma alani (formerly Cyclodina alani), is a large, rare species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to New Zealand.
The specific epithet, alani, was given by the describer Joan Robb in honour of her nephew, Alan Robb.
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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starts withO. alani was once widespread throughout the North Island but has been wiped out in most parts of its former range by predation from several species of introduced rats. It now occurs naturally only on six small islands off the north-eastern coast of the North Island.
The robust skink is strongly nocturnal and lives under rocks, or in seabird burrows, tree stumps, and fallen logs. It prefers well vegetated areas with plenty of leaf litter and tolerates coastal areas as long as there is dense vegetation cover. Studies of the robust skink show that it is unusually vulnerable to losing water through its skin, which may explain its preference for damp environments such as crevices, bird burrows, rotting logs, and closely matted vegetation.
O. alani is viviparous.