Research

The lizards of New Caledonia

Ross Sadlier

My interest in the lizard fauna of New Caledonia began when Peter Rankin and I undertook a visit to the island in December 1978. At that stage very little field research had been conducted since a major expedition by Jean Roux and Fritz Sarasin in 1911-12. During their time on the island Roux and Sarasin gathered a substantial scientific collection of reptile specimens, which was lodged in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Basel. Peter and I spent a month on the island. Our efforts resulted in a collection of over 700 lizard specimens, including five species new to science. The trip ended tragically when Peter was killed in a fall while collecting.

It was not until 1990 that I renewed my New Caledonian field research. Since then I have undertaken a number of trips to New Caledonia, usually in collaboration with my colleages and close friends Aaron Bauer (Professor at Villanova University, Pennsylvannia) and Jean Chazeau from the Institut de Recherche pour le Development (formerly ORSTOM), Noumea.

Aaron and I currently have a number of collaborative projects researching the island’s lizard fauna, and have recently published a book on the herpetofauna of New Caledonia.

Bauer A.M. and Sadlier R.A. 2000. The Herpetofauna of New Caledonia. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. New York, USA.

Systematics - The description of the New Caledonian lizard fauna

• The Orange-bellied Burrowing Skink, Simiscincus aurantiacus - a subterranean lizard species?
• Skinks endemic to the maquis shrubland - Lioscincus tillieri and Lioscincus maruia
• The discovery and description of new species restricted to high altitude forest in the Province Sud - Sigaloseps ruficauda and Marmorosphax montana

Field Research - The discovery of the New Caledonian lizard fauna

• Lizards of New Caledonias Sclerophyll Forests and the Threats Posed by the Indroduced Little Fire Ant Wasmannia auropunctata.
• Research on the lizards of Province Nord, New Caledonia, with special reference to threatened species and the herpetofauna of threatened or restricted habitats

Conservation - The future of the New Caledonian lizard fauna

• Conservation status of endemic New Caledonian lizards - an assessment of the distribution and threats to the species of lizard endemic to New Caledonia. Including species accounts.

Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002