Eulamprus heatwolei (Yellow-bellied Water Skink)
Common name: Yellow-bellied Water-skink. SVL 80mm; Total Length 200mm
Yellow-bellied or Heatwole’s Water-skink is one of about fifteen species of water-skink (Egernia) found in Australia. Water-skinks belong to the Sphenomorphus Group of skinks. Three other species are found in the Canberra region, the Alpine Water-skink (E. kosciusko), the Southern Water-skink (E. tympanum), and the Eastern Water-skink (E. quoyii).
Water-skinks are mostly found along waterways, including bogs by the Alpine Water-skink. Rocky areas in and near water are also favoured.
Species are similar in appearance and size with a SVL 80mm and Total length 200mm. The Eastern Water-skink is larger with SVL of 100mm and Total Length of 220.
The Alpine Water-skin has distinctive dorsal (back) and dorsal-lateral (between back and side) stripes. The other species have bronze-brown, with small black flecks, backs.
It is possible to distinguish the Southern from Yellow-bellied Water-skin, as the underparts are whitish in the former and yellowish in the latter. The backs of the Southern Water-skink are sometimes heavily flecked. Sometimes the flecks on the back of the Yellow-bellied Water-skin join to form narrow stripes.
It is possibly to distinguish between the Yellow-bellied and Easter Water-skink as the head of the former is usually spotted or flecked, while the later has a few scattered flecks. Also, the former usually has white spots on its temples and cheeks while the later doesn’t, and the former has a pale streak above the eye to above the ear, the later rarely does.
Distribution: The Alpine Water-skink prefers alpine and high montane areas, the Southern Water-skink prefers lower montane areas, the Yellow-bellied Water-skink prefers intermediate areas between montane and lower areas, and the Eastern Water-skink is mostly confined to coastal areas. Species overlap, Alpine with Southern, Southern with Yellowed-bellied, and Yellow-bellied with Eastern. The Eastern Water-skink is rare in the tablelands and is largely confined to the coast.
Eulamprus heatwolei is listed in the following regions:
Canberra & Southern Tablelands | Albury, Wodonga | South Coast | Greater Sydney
Species information
- Eulamprus heatwolei Scientific name
- Yellow-bellied Water Skink Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1619.1m Recorded at altitude
- 382 images trained Machine learning
Location information
-
Maps
Albury Bega River Bioblitz Ben Boyd National Park Bendora Reservoir Biamanga National Park Bimberi Nature Reserve Bondi State Forest Bondi State Forest Bournda National Park Bournda Nature Reserve Boyne State Forest Brindabella National Park Broulee Moruya Nature Observation Area Buckenbowra State Forest Bullen Range Central Molonglo Corin Reservoir Cotter Reserve Dampier State Forest Deua National Park Deua National Park (CNM area) East Boyd State Forest Eurobodalla National Park Gibraltar Pines Gigerline Nature Reserve Ginninderry Conservation Corridor Googong Foreshore Googong Reservoir Jedbinbilla Jerrabomberra Wetlands Kambah Pool Kosciuszko National Park Lake Burley Griffin Central/East Lake Burley Griffin West Lanyon - northern section A.C.T. Lower Cotter Catchment Lower Molonglo Mares Forest National Park Mimosa Rocks National Park Mogo State Forest Molonglo Gorge Molonglo River Reserve Monga National Park Monga National Park Mongarlowe River Mount Imlay National Park Mumbulla State Forest Nadgee Nature Reserve Nadgee State Forest Namadgi National Park National Zoo and Aquarium Noreuil Park Nullica State Forest Old Naas TSR Panboola Pine Island to Point Hut Point Hut to Tharwa Queanbeyan River Sherwood Forest South East Forest National Park Stony Creek Tallaganda State Forest Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Timbillica State Forest Tinderry Nature Reserve Uriarra Recreation Reserve VC00319 Wadbilliga National Park Wodonga Woodstock Nature Reserve Yambulla State Forest -
Places
Adjungbilly, NSW Budawang, NSW Coombs, ACT Cotter River, ACT Fyshwick, ACT Tharwa, ACT Tinderry, NSW
