Hosmer's spiny-tailed skink explained

Hosmer's spiny-tailed skink (Egernia hosmeri), also known commonly as Hosmer's egernia and Hosmer's skink, is a species of large skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is a diurnal, rock-dwelling species native to Northern Australia.

Etymology

The specific name, hosmeri, is in honour of Australian herpetologist William Hosmer.^[1]

Description

Hosmer's spiny-tailed skink is mostly reddish-brown on top, with both scattered darker and paler spots along the back, legs, and tail. It has a darker brown head and neck, white abdomen, and a few dark brown blotches under the chin. The snout-to-vent (SVL) is, with a round, tapering tail about 60% of the SVL.^[2] It is most closely related to Cunningham's spiny-tailed skink (Egernia cunninghami), however the tail of E. hosmeri is flattened and spinier than that of E. cunninghami.^[3]

Geographic range

Hosmer's spiny-tailed skin is found throughout dry, rocky regions of Queensland and the Northern Territory.^[4]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of E. hosmeri is rocky areas.

Behaviour

E. hosmeri is terrestrial.

Reproduction

Like some other reptiles, E. hosmeri is viviparous, giving birth to an average of four live young at a time.^[5]

Diet

Hosmer's spiny-tailed skink is omnivorous, eating insects, leaves, shoots, and berries.

Further reading

• Doughty, Paul

Kealley, Luke; Donnellan, Stephen C. (2011). "Revision of the Pygmy Spiny-tailed Skinks (Egernia depressa species-group) from Western Australia, with descriptions of three new species". Records of the Western Australian Museum 26: 115–137.

• Wilson, Steve

Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
2. Book: Cogger . Harold G.. Harold Cogger . Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition . 2014 . Clayton, Victoria, Australia . CSIRO Publishing . 544 . 9780643100350 . 30 January 2019.
3. Kinghorn . J. Roy . James Roy Kinghorn . Herpetological notes. No. 5 . Records of the Australian Museum . 1 September 1955 . 23 . 5 . 283–286 . 10.3853/j.0067-1975.23.1955.638 . 30 January 2019. (Egernia hosmeri, new species, p. 286 + Plate XIV).
4. Book: Clayton . Mark . Wombley . John . Mason . Ian . Ian J. Mason . Chesser . R. Terry . species:R. Terry Chesser . Alice . Wells . species:Alice Wells . CSIRO list of Australian vertebrates: a reference with conservation status . 2006 . CSIRO PUBLISHING . 29 . 9780643098800 . 2nd . 30 January 2019.
5. Web site: Hosmer's skink . Australian Reptile Park . Australian Reptile Park . 31 January 2019 . 16 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201116184430/https://reptilepark.com.au/animals/reptiles/skinks/hosmers-skink/ . dead .