The museum project manager, Rachel Checketts, said there were 35 entries in the skink-naming raffle.
Yesterday afternoon, as the skink was preparing for her afternoon bask under an ultraviolet light, 9-year-old Rex Harland, of Invercargill, drew the winning entry and officially named the skink Treasure, as suggested by Faye , of Alexandra, while other young museum visitors waited excitedly for a glimpse of the rare reptile.
Treasure is the first permanent skink in the museum in about six months. This week, Richard Gibson, the head reptile keeper at Auckland Zoo, and Karin Ludwig, from the Department of Conservation, visited the museum to inspect the skink enclosure and install a UV light.
Miss Checketts said they had bought a surprise with them - Treasure.
''This skink desperately needed a new home. It was getting beaten up by the other skinks at the Landcare Research Skink Breeding programme [in Alexandra].''
