Lerista bougainvillii
Bougainville's Skink
Bougainville’s Skink or South-eastern Slider is grey to brown with a broad black lateral stripe and an orange to brown cylindrical tail. It has an elongated body and reduced limbs. Snout-vent length: 70 mm. It is a common species on the ranges around Wodonga where it shelters beneath surface rocks, fallen timber, leaf litter and other ground debris. It is a burrowing species and when disturbed dissapears beneath the soil surface. Bougainville’s skink has a patchy distribution in North East Victoria and southern NSW, and is difficult to detect during warm weather because it shelters beneath soil under rocks or leaf litter. There are two modes of reproduction in Australian reptiles, egg-laying and giving birth to live young. Live-bearing species are more likely to occur at higher elevations and cooler temperatures. Most reptiles employ one method of reproduction, but Bougainville’s skink is unusual as it contains both egg-laying and live-bearing populations. In Tasmania and islands in the Bass Strait, populations are entirely live-bearing, whereas those on the mainland lay eggs. Mainland populations near the south coast retain their eggs for a longer period than northern populations and their eggs hatch within a couple weeks of being laid.
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