# Skink ID



## Focus (Dec 16, 2012)

Hello herp lovers!

I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to ID what is most likely a very simple ID for anyone who knows skinks. Location: North West Sydney suburban garden. Sorry about the quality, I've only got a point-and-click camera. Hopefully it's good enough.

Thanks!


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## Albino93 (Dec 16, 2012)

Looks like a garden skink or a grass skink? do u know what its length was?


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## mad_at_arms (Dec 16, 2012)

L. guichenoti.
Length would help.


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## Focus (Dec 16, 2012)

Approximately 6 cms.

Is garden skink a common name used to describe a variety of small skinks which turn up in gardens? I'm asking because I'm pretty sure I've heard it used to describe a different species to this, unless there is a big colour variation that they can come in.

Edit: thanks mad-at-arms!


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## eipper (Dec 16, 2012)

Lampropholis guichenoti

- - - Updated - - -

There is a faint sign of a vertebral stripe which L. delicata does not have


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## Focus (Dec 16, 2012)

Thanks eipper!


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## Bushman (Dec 16, 2012)

Garden Skink usually refers to two species in Sydney suburban gardens.
This specimen looks like a _Lampropholis guichenoti_. These are often referred to as Garden Skink and are very common in the Sydney area.
The very similar and closely related _Lampropholis delicata_ is also very common in Sydney gardens, perhaps even more common than _L. guichenoti_. I've found that it is typically darker and more uniform in colour dorsally. They are often chocolate brown in my experience and are always without a vertebral stripe.
_Lampropholis guichenoti _usually has a darker vertebral stripe on a mid-grey background colour.


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## Focus (Dec 16, 2012)

Thanks Bushman, appreciate it. 

Do you know whether both species can live alongside each other?


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## Bushman (Dec 16, 2012)

My pleasure mate. 
Yes, both species can live alongside each other quite happily I dare say. They probably compete for food but there's probably plenty to go around.


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## Focus (Dec 16, 2012)

Thanks, I think both may inhabit the garden, as I've definitely seen l. delicata around the walls. 

Cheers again!


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## Bushman (Dec 16, 2012)

You're welcome Focus.


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## Bluetongue1 (Dec 16, 2012)

You have picked one of their favourite possies straight off, *Focus*. They use open areas at the based of walls where the grass is a bit longer and affords cover. They will crawl up the wall to get sun but usually not too far away from cover. Not only do both species co-exist, they also share communal egg-laying sites. The maximum clutch is 4 or 5 eggs and up to 130 eggs have been found in the one spot. Not bad even if they do double clutch in a season.

They have long been called garden or grass skinks. They are more common in cities than they are in their natural habitat. They like sunny places that are fairly moist. That would mean forests in nature but getting the sun restricts them to margins and openings in the forest, such as those due to exposed rock shelves. Cultivated garden and lawns provide the ideal combination of conditions.

There is has recently been a move to name _delicata_ the Grass Skink and _guichenotia_ the Garden Skink. In New Zealand, where _delicata_ has become naturalised, it is referred to as the Rainbow Skink, while in Hawaii, where it has been establish for over a century, it is most often referred to as the Metallic Skink. 

I am not sure what conditions favour which but growing up in Sydney, where we were _giuchenotia_ were more common. _Delicata_ were more coppery in colour, especially the hatchlings. Individuals do vary a bit in colour and pattern. I have a feeling the male _guichenotia_ develop quite a coppery colour to their head come breeding season - however it has been a long time, so don’t quote me. Looks like a gravid female in the photo, by the way.

I hope that fills in a few blanks for you.
Blue


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## Jeffa (Dec 16, 2012)

Any chance the two could cross breed and produce more variants?


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## Jeffa (Dec 16, 2012)

richoman_3 said:


> well, they couldnt get anymore boring so its worth a shot !



HA HA Richo, I mean could they readily hybridise in the wild and produce more variants in the wild (without us Stuffing it up) making possible ID confusing?


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## Focus (Dec 16, 2012)

Bluetongue1, thanks for the response, very interesting! I know that to most herp lovers these skinks must be the bottom of the interest ladder but I find them pretty awesome 




richoman_3 said:


> well, they couldnt get anymore boring so its worth a shot !



lol!


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## Bluetongue1 (Dec 16, 2012)

If it has to be big, bad or bright to take someone's attention, then that probably says a lot more about the person than the reptile. There was a thread recently where someone was wanting to get hold of some garden skinks. There would have been another half a dozen at least who expressed their interest - so you never know.

Both species are very aware of their surroundings and any movement that occurs and are quite wary. However they will come to tolerate a quiet observer. While they live in high numbers in close proximity, they appear to be territorial to a degree as they will fight off an interloper that attempts to take their basking spot. It is quite fascinating to observe their interactions and general behaviour.

*Jeffa*,
As far as I know natural hybrids do not occur. That could be due to genetic differences being too great or to whatever the mechanism is that stops them from attempting to interbreed. We do tend to think of morphologically similar species, especially within the one genus, of being just as similar genetically. However, such is not necessarily the case. It works the other way too. Diamonds and Coastal Carpets are extremely similar genetically, yet morphologically very different to look at. 

Blue


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## GeckPhotographer (Dec 20, 2012)

Bushman said:


> Garden Skink usually refers to two species in Sydney suburban gardens.
> This specimen looks like a _Lampropholis guichenoti_. These are often referred to as Garden Skink and are very common in the Sydney area.
> The very similar and closely related _Lampropholis delicata_ is also very common in Sydney gardens, perhaps even more common than _L. guichenoti_. I've found that it is typically darker and more uniform in colour dorsally. They are often chocolate brown in my experience and are always without a vertebral stripe.
> _Lampropholis guichenoti _usually has a darker vertebral stripe on a mid-grey background colour.




I've found that L.delicata are more common in Newcastle but a divide somewhere around Gosford area brings L.guichenoti into the role of 'more common garden skink'. This is just my experience and by no means a rule.


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## Bushman (Dec 22, 2012)

GeckPhotographer said:


> I've found that L.delicata are more common in Newcastle but a divide somewhere around Gosford area brings L.guichenoti into the role of 'more common garden skink'. This is just my experience and by no means a rule.


That's interesting Stephen, however there are areas of Sydney where _L. delicata_ seems to be the more common of the two (pers.obs) species. I speculate that the species that predominates in each given area depends upon subtle differences in micro-habitat.


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