Reptiles Australia Magazine Volume 3 Issue 5

Reptiles Australia Magazine Volume 3 Issue 5

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Page 14

Captive Husbandry and Breeding Of Desert Skinks

By Greg Fyfe

Introduction:
Imagine a flame-red lizard the size of a small adult blue-tongued lizard exploding out of a burrow in a red sand plain to capture a passing grasshopper in powerful crushing bites.  This animal and its near relatives exist in the deserts of central Australia.  They are collectively called the desert skinks, and are members of the genus Egernia.
 The genus Egernia has approximately 30 species spread throughout Australia with just a single species also occurring in southern New Guinea Egernia frerei.
 These 30 species are split into various “species groups” depending on their relative relatedness and habits.
 One group that seems to be a fairly “natural” assemblage is the burrowing desert skinks.  These are a subgroup within the Egernia whitei group.  The desert skinks consist of four species – the Desert Skink Egernia inornata, the Great Desert Skink or Tjakara Egernia kintorei, the Floodplains Skink Egernia slateri and the Night Skink Egernia striata.….
 Two of the four species have some conservation issues at this time.  The Great Desert Skink is currently regarded as a Threatened species.  Its range and population levels are thought to be contracting for reasons that are not yet apparent.  The Floodplains Skink is in even more trouble, it has undergone a dramatic fall in numbers since the 1960’s and is currently regarded as Endangered.”

Page 22

Lies, Damn Lies & Big Snake Stories

By Simon Fearn
 “…..
 When I was much younger, pathetically gullible and developing a passion for snakes in my native Tasmania, I believed every story I heard of 6, 7 and 8 foot tiger snakes and spent a lot of time trying to get my hands on such creatures.  Given then frequency of reports of such monsters from normally sober and reliable people, I felt it was inevitable  that I would sooner or later get to tackle one of these great snakes for myself.  Twenty-five years later I am still waiting for even a  “six-footer” from the Tasmanian mainland.  Now I am older, wiser and immediately skeptical of uncorroborated claims for stupendously large snakes, taking the strictly scientific view that the burden of proof lies with those making the claims.  Having been disappointed on many occasions, I have found that nothing brings a good snake story back to earth faster than the simple tape measure!”