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Black rock skink

(Egernia saxatilis)

galery

Description

The Black Rock Skink (Egernia saxatilis) is a species of large skink native to Eastern and Southern Australia from central New South Wales to Grampians National Park in Victoria. A large, dark colored skink, up to 135 mm from snout to base of the tail, the Black Rock Skink is the first reptile discovered to have a "nuclear family" structure where the parents form a pair and care for their offspring for more than one year.The Black Rock Skink is a viviparous skink meaning females give birth to live offspring instead of laying eggs. They defend their home range and families against conspecifics for up to several years. The Black Rock Skink is a relatively large, mostly dark brown or black lizard with an average total length of 215 mm. The black upper side has a pattern of broken up pale scales that appear as white flecks. The scales on the back are keeled and rough to the touch, while the abdominal scales are smooth and not keeled. These ventral scales are also smaller than the dorsal scales. The underside of the skink is slightly orange and the ventral sides of the tail and throat are white with scattered black markings. The sides of the lizard have black scales with a scattering of lighter brown scales throughout. The feet and digits of the Black Rock Skink are black and shiny. The upper lip of the lizard is a lighter black color than the rest of the body. E. saxatilis reaches a maximum length of 140mm in snout to end of tail length. Egernia saxatilis prey on invertebrates and are primarily insectivores. However, plants make up a significant amount of the diet in certain seasons of the year and for larger individuals. They eat mostly beetles, ants, cockroaches, and grasshoppers. Egernia saxatilis is active during the day, and eats small insects, but in some seasons can also eat vegetation. It lives in the crevices of rock outcrops, and stays near the crevice. It is particularly active during warm weather, and often interacts socially. They can be aggressive to other skinks that enter their area. The social organization of these Australian lizards is very complex, as a study has shown monogamous tendencies among this species, contrary to the polygamous tendency of reptiles in general.The adults and young can stay together for over a year, with the female annually producing 2 - 3 young. They are viviparous. Based on examining similar species, it is thought that they can live for 10 years, and are mature by 2 - 3 years.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Family:Scincidae
Genus:Egernia
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