Tussock Skink

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Tussock Skink - Peter Robertson

Pseudemoia pagenstecheri


Grey-brown or olive with 2 dark lines on each side of a prominent vertebral stripe. Grows up to 62 mm in length.


Details
Type
Reptile
Group
Other Common Names
Southern Grass Tussock Skink, Southern Tussock Grass Skink
Biology

Active by day. Viviparous (live young). Females give birth to a maximum of 11 live young in late summer.

Distinctive Markings

Thin, pale stripe runs from behind the ear to the tail.

Taxonomy
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Family
Scincidae
Genus
Pseudemoia
Species
pagenstecheri

Disjunct distribution in 5 areas from the highlands of New South Wales, to New England Tablelands, lowland basalt plains of southern Victoria, eastern South Australia and central Tasmania.

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

Specific to tussock grassland where there are very few trees.


Interesting Facts
Diet

Carnivore. Opportunistic arthropod feeder including spiders, crickets, larvae and adult moths and beetles.

Habitat

Found from the Grampians in the west through the basalt plains west of Melbourne to north-east Victoria.

Native Status
Native to Australia