henryahh's Identifications

I've been growing habitat for skinks and lizards for ages and sadly when I finally saw one, it's after I've mortally wounded it with a garden spade. (Habitat is Muehlenbeckia axillaris, however this little critter was about 20m from where the Muehlenbeckia is).

Could it be a Tussock skink Oligosoma chionochloescens?

Thank you folks for suggesting the Northern Grass Skunk. I note that this skink is not generally found in Canterbury province?

.. I wonder if it might be the
Canterbury grass skink (Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 4)?

The reason for asking this is this reference:

Northern grass skinks are members of a cryptic species complex which includes the....
Canterbury grass skink (Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 4)..... The various species are regionally distributed, similar in both appearance and habit, and were once regarded as a single highly variable species - the 'common skink'. There are currently no known morphological features to distinguish northern grass skinks from the other species within the complex.

This is from:

https://www.reptiles.org.nz/herpetofauna/native/oligosoma-polychroma

I've been growing habitat for skinks and lizards for ages and sadly when I finally saw one, it's after I've mortally wounded it with a garden spade. (Habitat is Muehlenbeckia axillaris, however this little critter was about 20m from where the Muehlenbeckia is).

Could it be a Tussock skink Oligosoma chionochloescens?

Thank you folks for suggesting the Northern Grass Skunk. I note that this skink is not generally found in Canterbury province?

.. I wonder if it might be the
Canterbury grass skink (Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 4)?

The reason for asking this is this reference:

Northern grass skinks are members of a cryptic species complex which includes the....
Canterbury grass skink (Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 4)..... The various species are regionally distributed, similar in both appearance and habit, and were once regarded as a single highly variable species - the 'common skink'. There are currently no known morphological features to distinguish northern grass skinks from the other species within the complex.

This is from:

https://www.reptiles.org.nz/herpetofauna/native/oligosoma-polychroma