Cryptoblepharus sp. (genus)

2 Fence, snake-eyed or shining skinks at Evatt, ACT

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Identification history

Cryptoblepharus sp. (genus)	13 Aug 2021	PatrickCampbell
Cryptoblepharus pannosus	12 Aug 2021	wombey
Cryptoblepharus pannosus	12 Aug 2021	PatrickCampbell
Unidentified	12 Aug 2021	TimL

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User's notes

Sighted basking in the sun on a cold morning.

8 comments

PatrickCampbell wrote:

12 Aug 2021

I've read that there's a small population of Cryptoblepharus pannosus in Canberra, which is possibly a result of accidental translocation by anthropomorphic means.

Christine wrote:

12 Aug 2021

Patrick, in the blurb on this species it says that it is "one of the most abundant reptile species in the area, often found in the older parts of the city where large numbers can be found basking on the walls of buildings during warm weather", do you know which city/area it might refer to? Sydney??

wombey wrote:

12 Aug 2021

C. pannosus is certainly the best bet here. It could also be C. australis, unlikely and I would need to see the scaled under the digits to confirm. Christine, the lizard you are probably referring to is C. pulcher (part of the virgatus complex) for which your description best fits Sydney. They have very distinct pale dorso-lateral stripes. The nearest I have seen them to Canberra is Tianjara falls near Nowra.

Christine wrote:

12 Aug 2021

If I click onto the species name in the identification history above it gives a blurb, followed by all of the sightings on CNM, see: https://canberra.naturemapr.org/species/3676.

wombey wrote:

12 Aug 2021

Yes, CNM's description of pannosus is a bit confusing over which city. As pulcher is the species for Sydney and pannosus certainly does not occur in Canberra in any numbers as described here, I am at a loss as to which city we mean. I think there may be a cross over of species and behaviour confusing the two species.

PatrickCampbell wrote:

13 Aug 2021

I reckon the city mentioned in the blurb on the species is Albury, as there are 60 known records within a 10 km radius of the city centre and I can't see or think of any other city that it's likely to be.
Re: blurb, I think what has happened is that after the recent merge and expansion of NatureMapr into new regional areas, the various species accounts are often shared between regions and contents are not always applicable to other regions. The species blurb has now been adjusted accordingly to suit this region.

WillO wrote:

13 Aug 2021

I agree with comments being made on this good record. Just to add to that:

The record is most likely C. pannosus (because it occurs closer to the ACT) but since all of the ACT records are likely to be derived from accidental imports (mainly on firewood - and that includes the Bruce Ridge population mentioned by Ross Bennett in his book on ACT reptiles), as mentioned by John, it could be be that species or australis. Since there is no way we can decide whether it is pannopsis or australis without examining the underside of toes for colour and extent of keeling on lamellae we cannot be sure. Also not obvious in this photo are the number of supracillary scales (5 in pannosus and 6 in australis) which would have also been a guide. This should be recorded as Cryptoblepharus sp.

I have always been surprised that Cryptoblepharus does not occur in the ACT and expected to find them along the northern parts of the Murrumbidgee Corridor and other warmer sites ( like Ginninderra Falls area where a population of Tree skinks Egernia striolata occurs).

PatrickCampbell wrote:

14 Aug 2021

I concur.

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