Endemic to the Central Queensland Coast. The Whitsundays are the northernmost limit of its distribution. Rarely encountered due to its burrowing habit.
This is a legless skink that burrows amongst the leaf litter and just below the surface of the ground. A life style suited to a limbless body form.
One of the photographed individual has recently lost its tail. Most species of skink can undergo autotomy, or the loss and subsequent regrowth of the tail. This ability is used as a last resort, usually when it has been caught by a predator. The predator will become occupied by the rapidly wriggling discarded tail allowing the lizard to slip away to safety.
For a detailed description of this species please refer to A Field Guide to Reptiles of Queensland by Steve K. Wilson
