# ID - Skink found in Epping/Macquarie Park area NSW



## Multifoliate (Mar 4, 2014)

Hi All

Saw this pretty little thing on my fence, doesn't look like the everyday garden skink to me. Am I wrong? If not, what is it?


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## Ramsayi (Mar 4, 2014)

Looks to me to be an eastern water skink Eulamprus quoyii


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## -Peter (Mar 4, 2014)

E. tenius I think


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## Ramsayi (Mar 4, 2014)

-Peter said:


> E. tenius I think



No arguments from me.What about this one?


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## Bushman (Mar 4, 2014)

That's definitely a Bar-sided Skink (_Eulamprus tenuis_). 
The most distinguishing characteristic of this species is the broken, black, dorso-lateral stripe. 
They're semi-arboreal in habit, often climbing trees or in this case a brick fence. 
I've found them to be the most arboreal member of the "water skink" genus.


Multifoliate said:


> Hi All
> 
> Saw this pretty little thing on my fence, doesn't look like the everyday garden skink to me. Am I wrong? If not, what is it?


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## Multifoliate (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks all for sating my curiosity!


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## -Peter (Mar 4, 2014)

Looks like quoyii




Ramsayi said:


> No arguments from me.What about this one?


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## Ramsayi (Mar 4, 2014)

-Peter said:


> Looks like quoyii



Thanks Peter.
Think we have both types in the yard.


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## eipper (Mar 5, 2014)

The first lizard (sphenomorphid) is Concinnia tenuis. The second lizard (Sphenomorphid) put up by Ramsayi is Eulamprus quoyii. There are no skinks in Australia anymore.


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## Lachie3112 (Mar 5, 2014)

eipper said:


> The first lizard (sphenomorphid) is Concinnia tenuis. The second lizard (Sphenomorphid) put up by Ramsayi is Eulamprus quoyii. There are no skinks in Australia anymore.



What? How can you make a claim like that?


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## eipper (Mar 5, 2014)

Very easily Lachie, it's not a claim it's a result of a paper on the higher taxonomy of the animals formally known as scincids, better known as skinks


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## -Peter (Mar 5, 2014)

Here we go again, I'll never be able to keep up but it will be fun trying Scott. 


eipper said:


> Very easily Lachie, it's not a claim it's a result of a paper on the higher taxonomy of the animals formally known as scincids, better known as skinks


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## MesseNoire (Mar 5, 2014)

eipper said:


> The first lizard (sphenomorphid) is Concinnia tenuis. The second lizard (Sphenomorphid) put up by Ramsayi is Eulamprus quoyii. There are no skinks in Australia anymore.



Would you be able to send me a link of the paper so I can (attempt) to read it?
If they're not skinks they're now classified as sphenomorphid?


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## eipper (Mar 5, 2014)

In Australia we have Sphenomorphids, Egerniids, Lygosomids and my personal favorite Eugongylids.

The paper was published recently in Zootaxa, the paper is not in the open access category so there are no "free versions".

cheers
scott


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## cheapthrillz (Mar 8, 2014)

eipper said:


> The first lizard (sphenomorphid) is Concinnia tenuis. The second lizard (Sphenomorphid) put up by Ramsayi is Eulamprus quoyii. There are no skinks in Australia anymore.



These are all genera of the the family Scincidae ie. they are all Skinks, still.


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## borntobnude (Mar 8, 2014)

They are very common in that area , I had two in my kitchen (ground floor office block -- commercial kitchen ) last week . the kitchen hand had a great time chasing them around 1/2 hour later they were released .


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## MesseNoire (Mar 8, 2014)

cheapthrillz said:


> These are all genera of the the family Scincidae ie. they are all Skinks, still.



I did a quick google. I am yet to read the full paper but the Scincidae family has been broken up into multiple smaller families, it seems. Just as Eipper mentioned.


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## cheapthrillz (Mar 8, 2014)

I just got the new Cogger on Friday and it appears that it is out of date already because there is no mention of 'sphenomorphid'. How and where can I find out about these new divisions?


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## eipper (Mar 8, 2014)

Cogger was out of date before it went to print. I should know I was talking with Hal the morning it went and we were discussing the Karma and Magmellia validity. There has been a new Aprasia, new Uperoleia, new Ctenophorus and a new Varanus described since. There has also been discussion about reserve tying a new genus within Pythonidae. It's the nature of the beast and there's plenty in the works.

cheers
scott


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## -Peter (Mar 8, 2014)

I used to get Tropical Fish Hobbyist updates for my book. They were a binder type and you could insert the new species pages as they came along. It is now totally out of date. It was a nice way of keeping a volume up to date though.


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