| Great desert skink | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Liopholis |
| Species: | L. kintorei |
| Binomial name | |
| Liopholis kintorei | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Thegreat desert skink (Liopholis kintorei orEgernia kintorei), also knowncommonly asKintore's egernia and by various other names includingtjakura in variousAboriginal Australian languages, is aspecies ofskink, alizard in the familyScincidae. The species is native to the western half of Australia. It is a burrowing lizard and extremely social.
The species is known asLiopholis kintorei orEgernia kintorei.[3] Thespecific name,kintorei, is in honour ofAlgernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore, a British politician who was a colonialgovernor of South Australia.[4]
One of the common name of this skink is great desert skink.[5]
Aboriginal Australian names for the skink include tjakura, mulyamiji, tjalapa, warrana (also spelt warrarna[3]), and nampu.[6]
The great desert skink is a medium-sized skink,[citation needed] reaching an average snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 19–20 cm (7.5–7.9 in), weighing around 350 g (12 oz).[6] It has smooth, small, glossy scales and is mostly rust-coloured on the top of the body, with the belly a vanilla colour. It has relatively large circular eyes and a short snout.[citation needed]
They can be distinguished fromEgernia striolata because they have more labials and more pointed ear lobules.[7]
L. kintorei is aspecies of skink, alizard in thefamily Scincidae. The species isendemic to the western half of Australia.[5]
The species isendemic to the western half of Australia,[5] occurring almost exclusively onAboriginal land.[6]L. kintorei is native to the southwestern quarter of theNorthern Territory (NT), dispersed slightly throughout most ofWestern Australia (WA),[8] and the northwestern corner ofSouth Australia (SA).[3]
As the common name suggests, it is a desert reptile, living inburrows. The burrows can extend up to 12 m (39 ft) in length, and can have as many as 20 entrances.[8]
Researchers found in 2011 that out of over 5,000 species of lizards documented, this species was said to have "unique" behaviour among them with regard to their cooperative behaviour. Individuals of the great desert skink work in cooperation with one another to build and take care of their burrows, even digging out specific rooms for use as adefecatorium. Mates are faithful to one another and always mate with the same lizard, although 40 percent of males have been documented to mate with other females. The tunnels are mostly excavated by adults, while juvenile lizards contribute small "pop" holes to the system. DNA analysis has shown that immature lizards live in the same burrow with their siblings, regardless of age difference. The study, carried out in theUluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, also revealed that all immature lizards were full siblings in 18 of 24 burrow systems. Researchers confirmed that the lizards are family-based and keep the juveniles in the tunnel system until they mature.[8]
Theyhibernate in winter (May/mid-June to September/October).[3]
Tjakura is omnivorous and can be considered an opportunist generalist as it consumes a diverse range of invertebrates and plants supplemented at least occasionally with small vertebrate prey items. Culicidae (mosquitos) and Termitidae (termites) are the most frequently consumed. Tjakura actively forage both during the day and at night.[9]
The great desert skink, or tjakura, is athreatened species,[6] listed as avulnerable species under the federalEPBC Act, NT and WA legislation, and on theIUCN Red List. It is listed asendangered inSouth Australia.[3] It used to be a source of food for desert-dwelling Aboriginal peoples inhabitingcentral Australia, but since thecolonisation of Australia, introduced pests such asfoxes andferal cats have decimated the population.[6]
In March 2023, the first survey in a new National Recovery Plan for the great desert skink led byIndigenous rangers from across the Northern Territory,Western Australia, and South Australia was carried out. The rangers will continue to survey and collect data on the skink.[6]
Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under aAttribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence.