A trial wild-wild translocation of the critically endangered grand skink Oligosoma grande in Otago, New Zealand

Published source details Whitmore N., Judd L.M., Mules R.D., Webster T.A., Madill S.C. & Hutcheon A.D. (2012) A trial wild-wild translocation of the critically endangered grand skink Oligosoma grande in Otago, New Zealand. Conservation Evidence, 9, 28-35.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Translocate adult or juvenile reptiles: Lizards Action Link

Translocate adult or juvenile reptiles: Lizards

A study in 2008–2010 in rock outcrops in mixed grass and shrublands in Otago, New Zealand (Whitmore et al. 2012) found that most translocated grand skinks Oligosoma grande survived the first year and bred in the wild. After one year, 10 of 10 juvenile skinks and five of nine adult skinks had survived. The population increased from 19 to 20 individuals. The authors reported that although the population had increased overall, it’s reproductive potential had declined due to the loss of adult skinks. In October 2009, nineteen grand skinks were moved 4 km from three source sites to a cluster of rock outcrops (0.25 ha) in a conservation reserve, where non-native predators had been controlled since 2008. Skinks were monitored every 7–15 days for the first 60 days and in December 2009, April 2010 and December 2010 using photographic surveys. Predators were controlled using traps (800 traps across 4,500 ha of the reserve).

(Summarised by: Katie Sainsbury)