Research

Panié Litter Skink Caledoniscincus orestes (northern population)

Panié Litter Skink Caledoniscincus orestes, female (northern population).

Panié Litter Skink Caledoniscincus orestes, male (northern population).

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Description: A moderately small, surface active species of skink growing to a body length of 65mm, with a tail 130% the length of the body, well developed limbs, and the scales of the body with three distinct ridges or keels. Colouration differs markedly between males and females. Males are dark overall with pale markings down the centre of the back forming a vertebral stripe, whereas females and young of both sexes are typically two-toned being lighter above and dark at the sides, with irregular pale vertebral markings. The ventral surface of males is usually orange and that of females yellowish.

Natural distribution: Panie Range in the far northeast of the island.

Distribution within Province Nord: Recorded from Mt Panie, Mt Colnett, and Mt Ignambi along the Panie Range.

Threats:

• potentially high level of threat with high infestation levels of introduced Fire Ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) at lower elevation sites
• moderate level of threat to closed forest edge through repeated firing of adjacent savannah habitat on the west side of the Panie range leading to a decline in area, extent and quality of habitat

Conservation status: The northern population of C. orestes has a very small distribution on northern ranges with a likely real area of occupancy of <100 km2, and is considered to represent a single continuous population at mid to high elevation along the range. On that criteria alone the northern population can be categorised as Vulnerable. The threats identified occur mainly at the forest edge or lower elevational limits of the species, and for most its distribution the northern population of C. orestes occurs within some of the least disturbed and most pristine closed forest habitat in New Caledonia. The level of decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat posed by these threats is largely unknown.

Future research required:

• undertaking targeted survey work to more comprehensively document the species distribution on the Panie Range
• survey work to assess the extent of decline in area and/or quality of forest habitat in which it occurs, particularly with regard to the impact of fire on the forest edge on the western side of the range
• survey work to assess the spread of the Fire Ant on the range

Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002