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Unidentified Skink
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Lacertilia (=Sauria) (lizards)
- Family: Scincidae (skinks)
- Genus: unknown; perhaps Carlia
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Scientific Name: unknown |
| Habitat: Leaf litter
in open forest floor. |
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| Length: About 4 inches total
length. |
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| Food: Insects. |
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These skinks roam the forest floor outside the
Bowali Visitor Centre at Kakadu National Park. Although they
are only about 4 inches long, they were beautifully colored, with
a coppery cast to the front half of the body, and they were fun to
watch because of their interesting behavior. |
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| After scampering a few feet, they
would stop, then curl their tail high over their back and wave it
back and forth slowly (second picture). I'm not sure what
effect this is supposed to have--maybe it lures predators to the
detachable tail and away from the head. |
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These skinks might belong to the
genus Carlia or Ctenotus, but the skink family is
well-represented in Australia with many similar-looking
species. If anyone can help me positively identify this
skink, please email me!
UPDATE Spring 2007:
Mr. Stewart MacDonald from
Reptiles
Down Under says it's most likely a Carlia, based on the
tail-waving description I gave. |
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