New Zealand Herpetological Society Inc.

Description:

Usually this species is a soft richly textured plain green, sometimes displaying faint golden star-like markings on the dorsal surface. They have very slender active tails that act as a climbing aid. The males can be identified, apart from the usual hemipenes, by their display of a characteristic silvery underbelly while the females display just a slightly lighter green. The mouth interior lining is shaded a distinctive blue which contrasts with the pink tongue. Grows < 70mm.

Distribution:

Found in the Marlborough area as well as on some of the Cook Strait and Marlborough Sounds Islands.

Ecology

Diurnal, basking and hunting for insects on sunny days, while sheltering in small crevasses and holes during wet or cold windy weather.

Habitat:

Found in low compact shrubs such as manuka and kanuka also in the dense small leafed divaricating shrubs such as Coprosma and Muehlenbekia varieties.