Cunningham’s Skink Egernia cunninghami

Identification

The Cunningham’s Skink, Egernia cunninghami, is a large species, identifiable by the prominent spiny keel on each back scale which are most pronounced on the tail. It has a snout vent length of up to 160 mm.

Cunningham’s Skink
Photographer: Peter Robertson / Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty. Ltd.

Distribution and habitat

Cunningham’s Skinks are distributed widely over eastern and central Victoria, excluding central and southern Gippsland. They are normally found in crevices in rock formations, from which their spiny scales make their removal by predators almost impossible.

Biology

Cunningham’s Skinks are active by day and eat a wide range of fruits and seeds, invertebrates, and even small vertebrates. Females give birth to six or more live young in a litter.