RANGE
Southern and Central Australia

HABITAT
Dry habitats with sparse land growth. Desert grasslands and dune areas.

SIZE
12 to 14 inches in length.

LIFE EXPECTANCY
20 years

REPRODUCTION

• Ovoviviparous
• Gives birth to one or two live young after a period of about 3 months.
• Newborn skinks are already about half the size of the adults. This gives the babies a chance to grow quickly enough to be ready for the next drought.

DIET
Omnivores
Wild: Vegetation, insects and snails.
Zoo: Kale, carrots, assorted shredded fruits and vegetables, mealworms & crickets

BEHAVIOR

• Diurnal
• Slow moving, peaceful manner, occasionally making their way into burrows to escape the hot sun.
• Many can often be found in rabbit warrens.
• Skinks are adapted well to their uncertain climate of rains and drought.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• These lizards are very sturdily built with a large triangular head, short, strong limbs and a thick, stumpy tail.
• A reserve of fat is stored in its tail much like a camel stores fat in its hump. This is a valuable adaptation, as it lives in an arid climate marked by periods of drought.
• The tail resembles the head and they use this as a defense to confuse potential predators. This adaptation is called self-mimicry.
• This skink is also known as the stump-tailed skink, pinecone skink, bobtail skink, two-headed skink, sleepy skink and boggi.
• Has Jacobson’s organ in roof of mouth to help find food.

STATUS
Common

REFERENCES
1. Prior Shingleback skink fact sheet at Louisville Zoo (July 1998)
2. http://www.whozoo.org/Intro2003/RyanBenn/RMB_ShinglebackSkink.html