The IUCN SSC Skink Specialist Group (SSG) is a global network of skink biologists and conservation managers that aims to complete Red List assessments for all skink species worldwide to identify species with high extinction risk and determine the factors underlying high extinction risk.
Of the ~1730 skink species currently described, ~300 occur in Oceania and New Guinea, a vast area spanning the island of New Guinea and hundreds of islands in Wallacea and the Pacific Ocean. As Regional Coordinator, I coordinate the red list assessments of these species, in addition to leading efforts to identify and prioritise gaps in our knowledge that prevent us from a complete understanding of the conservation needs of these animals.
I am also personally involved in research on the skinks of New Guinea, including taxonomy and species descriptions, so we can gain a better understanding of the diversity of species in the region.
Of the ~1730 skink species currently described, ~300 occur in Oceania and New Guinea, a vast area spanning the island of New Guinea and hundreds of islands in Wallacea and the Pacific Ocean. As Regional Coordinator, I coordinate the red list assessments of these species, in addition to leading efforts to identify and prioritise gaps in our knowledge that prevent us from a complete understanding of the conservation needs of these animals.
I am also personally involved in research on the skinks of New Guinea, including taxonomy and species descriptions, so we can gain a better understanding of the diversity of species in the region.
