All three skink species were successfully located in the wild.
The Lyon’s grassland striped skink, a reptile that is so elusive that it hasn’t been seen in 40 years, has been found in Queensland. The reptile, which is copper in coloration and has a long, red tail, was found during a survey that was tasked to locate three skink species that are confined to the Mount Surprise locality of Queensland, and have small distributions. They were to determine if the skinks still existed and if they could find populations of them.
“The skink was last seen in 1981 and was feared to be extinct. To find it again after 42 years, and at several different sites, is exciting,” James Cook University Associate Professor Conrad Hoskin said in a statement released to the media. “We now need to assess its full distribution and habitat requirements,” Dr. Hoskin said. Hoskin was part of the team tasked to locate the skinks.
The surveys, part of the Resilient Landscapes Hub of the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program was able to successfully locate all three skink species. They are the Lyon’s grassland striped skink (Lerista sp), limbless fine-lined slider (Lerista ameles), and the Mount Surprise slider (Lerista storri).
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“These lizards are all hard to find and seldom seen. Two are part of a large group of skinks in the genus Lerista, which are only found in Australia and have adapted to sandy soils by reducing their limbs to essentially swim through the soil,” Dr. Andrew Amey, one of the researchers tasked to find the reptiles. “It shows that parts of Australia such as grasslands and open woodland that are grazed by cattle can still host important biodiversity. It was an exciting moment to find all three skinks, but to find the Lyon’s grassland striped skink was an amazing discovery,” Amey said.
