Land mullet

Description:

Egernia major, also known as Land Mullet are lizards, they are some 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. Adult males have slightly shorter bodies but slightly longer forelimbs and heads than adult females. The ventral side (belly) ranges in colouration from auburn (orange-brown) to white. Juveniles have prominent cream lateral spots. The name comes from the smooth, shiny, black fish-like scales that cover the body. Egernia major is long-lived - with one captive female lizard known to have lived for at least 23 years.

Habitat:

Native to Australia, they are generally restricted to the rainforest of south-eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is in discontinuous locations from the northern side of the Hawkesbury River in the south, to the Conondale Range, near Maleny in south eastern Queensland. They occur at altitudes from sea level (Park Beach, New South Wales) to 840 m (Acacia Plateau, 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. The lizards shelter in hollow logs or burrows. Often these are dug in to the soil-bound root systems of fallen trees.

Notes:

Spotted in Nightcap National Park, Australia.