Chapter V 



REPTILES AND AMPHIBIA 



Class REPTILIA 



Order LACERTILIA 



Family Lacertid^ 



English Scaly Lizard {Lacerta vivipara) 



Mr T. W. Kirk (in 1886) reports the occurrence of several speci- 

 mens on the Tinakori Hills, Wellington, probably introduced with 

 some cases of plants for the Botanical Gardens. I am not aware that 

 they increased, or were seen again after the first year. 



Sub-Class Chelonia 

 Family Chelydid^ 

 Australian Fresh-water Turtle {Chelodina longicollis) 



Representatives of this species — popularly known as Australian 

 tortoises — ^have been frequently imported into New Zealand by dealers 

 and private individuals. In 1889 a large number were brought to 

 Dunedin for the Fisheries Court of the South Seas Exhibition, and 

 at the close of the Exhibition were sold and distributed. Two of these 

 were given to Mr A. M. Johnson in October 1890, and he had them 

 for some years. 



None of these animals at the Dunedin Exhibition was ever seen 

 to eat, though they were offered all kinds of food. 



Mr G. Howes states that one or more fresh- water turtles were 

 seen about the Waihopai River in North Invercargill about 1903. 



Japanese Tortoise 



Mr Cheeseman informs me that " a number of these small tortoises 

 were procured from Japan for the Auckland Exhibition in 1913, and 

 at its close about ten remained. These were placed in one of the 

 greenhouses in the Auckland Domain Gardens to be kept there 

 through the winter, but when spring arrived none of them could be 

 found. They had evidently escaped through some unknown opening." 

 I have not seen them at all, and do not know what species they 

 belonged to, though possibly it was either Clemmys japonica or 

 Damonica reevesii. 



