Desert Skink Liopholis inornata – A Skink that comes out at Dusk

Simon Watharow

Images: Simon Watharow and Steve Cook

In the north-western regions, starting from the Big Desert and Wyperfeld National Park up through the Sunset country and across to Hattah/Kulkyne National Park, a rather unique lizard thrives. You will rarely see them out during the day. But their small holes are evident to the astute observer, usually on the hard sand crests of small rises, dunes and mounds. This fascinating lizard can be seen there.

The lizards often excavate a burrow system with multiple entrances, often under a hummock grass tussock, Triodia irritans. The main hole will face north, with a southern escape hole partially filled in. There may be another entrance elsewhere, and they may have several burrow systems.

What makes the desert skinks so cool is that, with the weather being so hot most of the summer, they have adapted to emerging at dusk. They have specialised eyes developed for seeing in the twilight. They will ambush invertebrates that emerge from the hummock grass and venture past the entrance to their burrow system. While they are seen moving around, they will remain within bolting distance of their burrow. If a snake tries to enter the burrow system, they use their pop-up holes and make good their escape.

A great time to see these lizards is during a low-pressure build-up, or especially during periods around a thunderstorm. Numbers will emerge and stay near their entrance. They will allow you to watch them from around 6–12 metres away without concern. When driving through mallee habitats, if you watch around the hummock grass, you may see them after dusk near the entrance.

They are very quick between burrow systems, and capture is unlikely. During early summer, they will lay eggs, usually 1–5, in a burrow. Not much is known of how these lizards mature.

The desert skinks are ambush predators and will take most invertebrates and small vertebrate prey.

So, if you find yourself moving around at dusk in the mallee, watch around the crests of rises and dunes for the twinkling desert skink.

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  Desert skink beside hummock grass at Big Billy Bore.

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  Desert skink at the entrance to its burrow.

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  Burrow entrances beneath hummock grass in sandy ground.