There have been a number of legless lizards found over the last few weeks. They resemble snakes, in that they are completely limbless, but are in fact lizards. Their preferred habitat is moist leaf litter, under stones, logs and in soft damp soils. They feed on large invertebrates, frogs and smaller vertbrates that they are able to catch. In turn they are preyed on by a number of other reptiles, birds and mammals. They grow to a total length of about fifty centimetres and in late summer the females give live birth to up to fifteen young.The particular species depicted in the photograph is an adult giant legless skink. There are constantly new species being described in the reptile community and possibly in the near future one of them may be discovered here.

Thanda Field Guides