Our knowledge of the conservation status of reptiles, the most diverse class of terrestrial vertebrates, has improved dramatically over the past decade, but still lags behind that of the other tetrapod groups. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive evaluation (~92% of the world's ~1714 described species) of the conservation 1 Joint senior authors. D.G. Chapple et al.

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Multiple species translocations to the same site are becoming common practice in New Zealand restoration programmes. With every new translocation, the risk of parasite transmission between populations can increase. The translocation of Hoplodactylus duvaucelii and Oligosoma smithi provided the opportunity to 1) test for Salmonella and Cryptosporidium occurrences; and 2) compare this Salmonella test prevalence with results from avian translocations at one release site, Tiritiri Matangi Island. Of the six reptile species tested, three skinks (O. aeneum, O. moco and O. smithi) and one gecko (Woodworthia maculatus) tested positive for Salmonella (n 0274). This is the first record of Salmonella enterica subspecies IV 40:g,t:-in New Zealand reptiles. Test prevalences between reptiles and birds were similar, suggesting that Salmonella prevalence may be naturally low in the areas sampled.

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In heterogeneous habitats, camouflage via background matching can be challenging because visual characteristics can vary dramatically across small spatial scales. Additionally, temporal variation in signaling functions of coloration can affect crypsis, especially when animals use coloration seasonally for intraspecific signaling (e.g., mate selection). We currently have a poor understanding of how wild prey optimize background matching within continuously heterogeneous habitats, and whether this is affected by requirements of intraspecific signaling across biological seasons. Here, we quantified color patterns of a wild population of shore skink (Oligosoma smithi), a variably colored lizard endemic to New Zealand, to (a) investigate whether background matching varies across a vegetation gradient; (b) assess potential signaling functions of color; and (c) to determine whether there is a trade‐off between requirements for crypsis and intraspecific signaling in coloration across seasons. Although all pattern types occurred throughout the vegetation gradient, we found evidence for background matching in skinks across the vegetation gradient, where dorsal brightness and pattern complexity corresponded with the proportion of vegetation cover. There was also a significant disparity between ventral color (saturation) of juveniles and adults, and also between sexes, suggestive of sex recognition. However, there was little indication that color was condition‐dependent in adults. Despite some evidence for a potential role in signaling, crypsis did not greatly differ across seasons. Our study suggests that selection favors a mix of generalist and specialist background matching strategies across continuously heterogeneous habitats.