Western bluetongue skink

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Western bluetongue skink
Tiliqua occipitalis.jpg

Western bluetongue skink ( Tiliqua occipitalis )

Systematics
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Scincomorpha (Scincoidea)
Family : Skinks (Scincidae)
Subfamily : Egerniinae
Genre : Bluetongue Skink ( Tiliqua )
Type : Western bluetongue skink
Scientific name
Tiliqua occipitalis
( Peters , 1863)

The Western Blauzungenskink ( Tiliqua occipital ) is a kind from the family of skinks (Scincidae).

features

The head-torso length of the western bluetongue skink is up to 32 cm. It is yellow-brown to pale gray-brown with 4–6 broad dark bands on the trunk, 3–4 dark transverse bands on the tail and a wide dark stripe from the eye to the ear opening (temporal stripe).

distribution and habitat

The distribution area of ​​the Western Bluetongue Skink includes W and S Western Australia , large parts of South Australia , the S Northern Territory as well as NW Victoria and SW New South Wales . The species inhabits dry, open, sandy areas with shrubs, as well as heather areas and the Mallee with Spinifex grasses.

Way of life

Like all bluetongue skink, the western bluetongue skink is a diurnal loner who uses fallen tree trunks, dense vegetation and burrows to hide. The western bluetongue skink actively seeks food; it mainly eats fruits (berries), seeds, other parts of plants, insect larvae, insects and, rarely, small vertebrates. It is ovoviviparous , so it gives birth to live young animals. Its predators include monitor lizards, including the giant monitor ( Varanus giganteus ).

Danger

The species is listed as endangered ( vulnerable ) in New South Wales . The western bluetongue skink is endangered by habitat destruction and neozoa such as domestic cats and red foxes.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e S. Wilson, G. Swan: A complete guide to reptiles of Australia . New Holland Publishers, 2010, ISBN 978-1-877069-76-5 .
  2. ↑ GM Shea: Diet of two species of bluetongue skink, Tiliqua multifasciata and Tiliqua occipitalis (Squamata: Scincidae). In: Australian Zoologist. 33 (3), 2003, pp. 359-368.
  3. ^ SA Thompson, PC Withers, GG Thompson, D. Robinson: Range extension for the Perentie, Varanus giganteus (Squamata: Varanidae). In: Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 88, 2005, pp. 41-43.
  4. ^ NSW Department of Environment and Conservation: Western Blue-tongued Lizard . Retrieved May 21, 2011.

Web links

Commons : Tiliqua occipitalis  - collection of images, videos and audio files