Egernia major
| Egernia major | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia (paraphyletic) |
| (unranked): | Sauria |
| Order: | Squamata (paraphyletic) |
| Infraorder: | Scincomorpha |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Subfamily: | Lygosominae |
| Genus: | Egernia |
| Species: | E. major |
| Binomial name | |
| Egernia major (Gray, 1845) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Tropidolepisma major Gray, 1845 |
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Egernia major, also known as Land Mullet, is one of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae).
The species may reach total lengths of up to 60 cm. They are uniform glossy black to brown, with a paler ring around the eye. Their colour, along with their large size, allow them to maintain a body temperature of 30 degrees Celsius; they spend much of the day basking in the sun.[1] The unusual name comes from the pungent, fishy odour emitted when threatened.[verification needed]
Native to Australia, they are generally restricted to the rainforest of south-eastern Australia.[1] The range of natural distribution is the northern side of the Hawkesbury River in the south, to the Conondale Range, near Maleny in south eastern Queensland.
The species favours habitat with many fallen logs, and it remains in close proximity to these. The restricted sunlight of the forest type require a number of basking sites to be available. It is less frequently found in other types of environs, such as the open eucalypt woodland of the region.[1] They can be easily confused with the related Egernia frerei, the Major Skink.[verification needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Klingenböck, A.; K. Osterwalder and R. Shine (Dec. 22, 2000). "Habitat Use and Thermal Biology of the "Land Mullet" Egernia major, a Large Scincid Lizard from Remnant Rain Forest in Southeastern Australia". Copeia (American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists) 2000 (4): 931–939. JSTOR 1448004.
- A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia - Steve Wilson & Gerry Swan ISBN 1-876334-72-X page 206
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Egernia major |
- Morphology and natural history of the Land Mullet Egernia major (Squamata: Scincidae)
- Australian Reptile Park
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