The ecology of a New Zealand grassland lizard guild

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Abstract
Home ranges and aggressive behaviour, habitat preference and diet were studied in a guild of three congeneric skinks, Leiolopisma inconspicuum, L. maccanni and L. nigriplantare polychroma in tussock grassland in New Zealand. The three species displayed niche differences in microhabitat, prey size and prey taxa; there was extensive overlap along the prey niche axes, but significant differences in microhabitat utilization between species pairs. Interspecific aggression related to specific site defence was observed on numerous occasions. These results suggest that this lizard guild is structured mainly by species-specific microenvironmental preferences, controlled by interspecific competition for space.