Eastern mourning skink

Description

The eastern mourning skink (Lissolepis coventryi), also known commonly as Coventry's spinytail skink and the swamp skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia. The specific name, coventryi, is in honor of Australian herpetologist Albert John Coventry. L. coventryi is found in the Australian states of South Australia, Victoria, and possibly New South Wales. The preferred natural habitat of L. coventryi is freshwater wetlands such as marshes and swamps. L. coventryi has an average snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 8 cm (3.1 in), with a long tail, which is almost one and a half times SVL. Lissolepis is a genus of mid-sized skinks (adult snout-vent length 100-130 mm) with a bulky angular body and small eyes. 20-28 rows of midbody scales; dorsal scales smooth. The nasal scale has a postnarial groove; the subocular scale row is complete. Eyelids similar in colour to the adjacent scales. They were previously placed in the genus Egernia.