The pygmy spiny-tailed skink (Egernia depressa) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae.
| Pygmy spiny-tailed skink | |
|---|---|
_at_Perth_Zoo,_February_2023_03.jpg)
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Egernia |
| Species: | E. depressa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Egernia depressa (Günther, 1875)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Silubosaurus depressus Günther, 1875 | |
The species is endemic to Australia and is found in the states Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia.[2]
A somewhat social species, pygmy spiny-tailed skinks live in small family groups in the desert. Omnivores, they feed on insects, some flowers, fruits, shoots, and leaves.[3]
Pygmy spiny-tailed skinks grow up to 16 centimetres long, however, they are able to inflate their bodies larger to jam themselves into crevices as a predator evasion tactic. Their spine-covered tails help block the way.[3][4] They are known to live in crevices, hollows of trees, and termite mounds.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Egernia depressa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017. 2017. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T109470276A109470293.en.
- ^ Egernia depressa at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 1 January 2019.
- ^ a b c Hayes, David (2017-11-17). "An illustrated guide to Aussie skinks". Australian Geographic. Archived from the original on 19 Jul 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ O'Shea, Mark (2021). Lizards of the World: A Guide to Every Family. Princeton University Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-691-19869-9. LCCN 2020948791.
 | This skink article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |