Southern Weasel Skink

Fascinating facts about the Southern Weasel Skink

• At just 45 mm from snout to vent, the southern weasel skink shimmers in iridescent reddish-brown scales, with tiny white marks behind and below the eye.
• Though classified as nocturnal, this skink peaks in activity during warm mornings and evenings.
• When threatened, the skink can drop its tail, which continues to twitch on the ground like a decoy. The escaping tail distracts predators long enough for the skink to dart into nearby vegetation or fallen timber. This self-amputation reveals a high-stakes survival trick that lets a tiny animal outsmart much larger hunters.
• Females lay up to four eggs per clutch in communal burrows shared with other females.
• The species occupies a narrow coastal strip from southern Victoria to southern Queensland, using existing vegetation and fallen timber for shelter.

At a glance

About the Southern Weasel Skink

The southern weasel skink, Saproscincus mustelinus, is a small reptile about 45 mm (1.8 in) from snout to vent, with iridescent reddish-brown scales and white marks behind and below each eye. It lives along the coastal strip from south Victoria to southern Queensland, using vegetation and fallen timber for shelter. It is usually nocturnal, most active in the evening and warm mornings, and feeds on small insects and other invertebrates. When threatened it can detach its tail, which continues to twitch to distract predators. Females lay up to four eggs per clutch in communal nests, typically between spring and late summer.

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