King's skink is native to coastal regions of south-western Australia.[4] It is common on Rottnest Island and Penguin Island and some coastal areas with open forest and open heath.
Description
King's skink is a large, heavy-bodied black skink that can reach a total length (including tail) of 55 centimetres (22 in)[4] with a mass of 220 grams (8 oz).
Diet
King's skink is omnivorous and consumes mostly softer plant matter from the range of local vegetation, but supplements its diet with insects and birds' eggs.[5]
As prey
King's skink is prey for many animals including tiger snakes (Notechis spp.).[6]
History
A traditional name for King's skink is wandy, given by the Nyungar people of south-west Western Australia.[7] The first European to draw a King's skink was the artist and naturalist Ferdinand Bauer who made a detailed drawing of one during Flinders' expedition in 1801.[8]
Reproduction
Like many skinks, King's skink is viviparous, and after a gestation period of 20–22 weeks,[5] gives birth to litters of 2–8 young that have a typical mass of 7 grams (0.25 oz). Juvenile mortality is high and growth to adult size is slow, so mature King's skinks can be quite long lived.
^ abArena, P.C.; Wooller, R.D. (2008). "The reproduction and diet of Egernia kingii (Reptilia : Scincidae) on Penguin Island, Western Australia". Australian Journal of Zoology. 51 (5): 495–504. doi:10.1071/zo02040.
^Bradshaw, Don; Fabien, Aubret; Maumelat, Stéphanie; Schwaner, Terry & Bonnet, Xavier (2004). "Diet divergence, jaw size and scale counts in two neighbouring populations of tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus)". Amphibia-Reptilia. 25 (1): 9–17. doi:10.1163/156853804322992797.
Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Egernia kingii, pp. 138–139).
Glauert L (1960). "Herpetological miscellanea. XII. The family Scincidae in Western Australia. Part 1. The genera Tiliqua, Trachysaurus and Egernia ". Western Australian Naturalist7 (3): 67–77.
Gray JE (1838). "Catalogue of the Slender-tongued Saurians, with Descriptions of many new Genera and Species". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, First Series2: 287–293. (Tiliqua kingii, new species, p. 290).
