How to make a lizard-friendly backyard
A jewelled gecko (Naultinus gemmeus). Credit: Samuel Purdie.
Have you ever found a lizard in your garden? Our very own Penny Jacks (Community Ranger) completed her Masters Degree studying the behaviour of rare skinks in Otago. She provides some tips about the lizards you’re likely to find in Dunedin and how you can help protect these fascinating reptiles.
Written by Penny Jacks
Do you have lizards living in your backyard?
When we think of native fauna of Aotearoa we often think of our endemic bird species. However, we also have a diverse range of lizards that were once widespread throughout the country. You might even have some of these scaled residents quietly living in your backyard!
Why are these lizards no longer widespread?
A combination of habitat loss and introduced mammals and birds have reduced lizard numbers throughout the country. In particular, rat and mouse incursions can decimate lizard populations. Being similarly sized, rodents can move within crevices and small spaces where lizards shelter, giving them nowhere to hide. Many other introduced species have taken a liking to them too, including: cats, hedgehogs, ferrets, stoats, weasels, starlings and chickens.
A herbfield skink (Oligosoma aff. inconspicuum "herbfield".) Credit: Samuel Purdie.
Where might I find lizards?
On a sunny day, try having a look around low-lying sun-exposed rocks, paths and wooden structures. Lizards move fast when they’re warm so if you think you’ve seen a flash of one scurrying off try sitting tight as it might return to the same spot. Our endemic lizards eat a variety of insects and small berries so try having a look around areas with lots of insect activity and fruiting native shrubs, e.g. small-leaved coprosmas.
Am I looking at a skink or a gecko?
Once you have found a lizard, the next step is to figure out if it’s a gecko or a skink. Think of skinks as sleek and smooth looking, with a tapered head that is narrower than its body. They are quite snake-like in appearance and in the way their body moves along the ground.
Geckos have baggy skink that appears rough in texture. They have a bulbous, frog-like head with large eyes. In Aotearoa we have geckos that spend most of their time above the ground among the dense branches of trees and shrubs, as well as geckos that are adapted to living in rocky environments.
A korero gecko (Woodworthia "Otago/Southland large".) Credit: Samuel Purdie.
What lizard species might I have in my backyard?
In Ōtepoti, you’re most likely to come across the Southern grass skink (Oligosoma aff. polychroma clade 5). This is a small, brown skink that is often seen as a blur zigzagging through long grass.
If you’re lucky, you might also catch sight of a rarer lizard species, such as the herbfield skink (Oligosoma aff. inconspicuum "herbfield"), the korero gecko (Woodworthia "Otago/Southland large".) or the jewelled gecko (Naultinus gemmeus).
Southern grass skink (Oligosoma aff. polychroma clade 5). Credit: Samuel Purdie.
How can I provide safe habitat for lizards?
If you have a known population of lizards in your backyard, you can protect them by trapping rodents and hedgehogs. You want to make sure you are not attracting lizards to come and be feasted on by predators. We all love our moggies but cats are a huge problem for backyard lizards, so when choosing your lizard patch, consider whether it’s going to be safe from our feline friends.
To create habitat to attract lizards, pick an area of your garden that is in the sun for a large portion of the day and use layers of rocks and logs to create tight crevices for lizards to shelter in. Lizards need a good supply of insects to eat, so best not to use insecticides and herbicides that are likely to do long-term damage to your garden ecosystem. You can promote insect life by allowing your grass to grow long and allow a thick layer of dead plant matter to accumulate on the ground rather than raking fallen leaves. A “messy” garden packed full of a diverse range of plants is best. This provides plenty of food and habitat to support a variety of invertebrates.
When checking in on your lizard friends, avoid moving or standing on stones and logs they might be living under - you could end up squashing one! If you wait quietly and patiently for them to come out you will get a much better look at them as they calmly do their lizard things.
Credit: Predator Free NZ Trust
More information
Attract lizards to your garden - Department of Conservation
Special thank you to Samuel Purdie for the stunning photos of native lizards. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram, and purchase his guidebook A Naturalist's Guide to the Reptiles & Amphibians of New Zealand.