| Land mullet | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Bellatorias |
| Species: | B. major |
| Binomial name | |
| Bellatorias major (JE Gray, 1845) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The land mullet (Bellatorias major) is one of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae).
The species may reach total lengths of up to 60 cm (23.6 inches). They are uniform glossy black to brown, with a paler ring around the eye. Their colour, along with their large size, allow them to maintain a body temperature of 30 degrees Celsius; they spend much of the day basking in the sun. [2] Adult males have slightly shorter bodies but slightly longer forelimbs and heads than adult females. [3] The ventral side (belly) ranges in colouration from auburn (orange-brown) to white [4] Juveniles have prominent cream lateral spots. [5]
It is long-lived - with one captive female lizard known to have lived for at least 23 years. [3]
The common name "land mullet" is said to date back to Longman (1918), who reported it to be in common usage for the species around Tamborine Mountain. The name probably alludes to the superficial resemblance to the homonymous fish, which has a similarly blunt head, large scales and is of similar size and coloration. [6]
Native to Australia, they are generally restricted to the rainforest of south-eastern Queensland, Australia. [2] The range of natural distribution is in discontinuous locations from the northern side of the Hawkesbury River in the south, to the Conondale Range, near Maleny in south eastern Queensland. [7] They occur at altitudes from sea level (Park Beach, New South Wales) to 840 m (Acacia Plateau, Queensland). [8]
The species favours habitat with many fallen logs, and it remains in close proximity to these. The restricted sunlight of the forest type require a number of basking sites to be available. It is less frequently found in other types of environs, such as the open eucalypt woodland of the region. [2]
The lizards shelter in hollow logs or burrows. Often these are dug into the soil-bound root systems of fallen trees. [5]
Land mullets are normally reported to be very shy, dashing noisily to the cover of dense low vegetation if disturbed. However, in some popular National Parks, the lizards have become habituated - scavenging close to humans for scraps at picnic and camping sites. [5]
Land mullets are live-bearing reptiles which usually reproduce roughly 4 to 9 independent offspring per litter. Largely solitary, they primarily associate only when it is time to mate. [4]
The land mullet eats woody fungi, mushrooms, berries, seeds, insects such as beetles and grasshoppers as well as decaying fruit material. [8]
The prickly skink, or prickly forest skink, is a morphologically and genetically distinctive species of skink endemic to rainforests of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area, in north-eastern Australia. Unlike most small skinks, which have smooth scales, this species has rough, ridged and pointed scales. These keeled scales may be an adaptation to its high-rainfall habitat, to its microhabitat in rotting logs, or to camouflage it when moving through forest leaf-litter.
The pink-tongued skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it is also called commonly the pink-tongued lizard. As suggested by these common names, its distinguishing characteristic is a pink tongue as opposed to the blue tongue of lizards of the closely related genus Tiliqua.
Finsch's monitor is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to New Guinea and Australia.
Saiphos equalis, commonly known as the yellow-bellied three-toed skink or simply three-toed skink, is a species of burrowing skink found in eastern Australia. It is the only species classified under the genus Saiphos.
The Centralian blue-tongued skink or Centralian blue-tongue is a species of skink, occurring predominantly in the far north-west corner of New South Wales, Australia. It is one of six species belonging to the genus Tiliqua; the blue-tongued skinks and the shinglebacks. This species of reptile classifies as a lizard.
The yakka skink is a species of large skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to the Brigalow Belt in Queensland in eastern Australia.
Egernia stokesii is a gregarious species of lizard of the Scincidae family. This diurnal species is endemic to Australia, and is also known as the Gidgee skink, spiny-tailed skink, Stokes's skink and Stokes's egernia. The species forms stable, long-term social aggregations, much like the social groups seen in mammalian and avian species. This characteristic is rarely found in the Squamata order, but is widespread within the Australian subfamily of Egerniinae skinks. Populations of E. stokesii are widely distributed, but fragmented, and occur in semi-arid environments. There are three recognised subspecies. The conservation status for the species is listed as least concern, however, one subspecies is listed as endangered.
The major skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to part of Australia and part of Australasia.
The black rock skink is a species of large skink native to Eastern and Southern Australia from central New South Wales to Grampians National Park in Victoria. A large, dark colored skink, up to 135 mm from snout to base of the tail, the black rock skink is the first reptile discovered to have a "nuclear family" structure where the parents form a pair and care for their offspring for more than one year. The black rock skink is a viviparous skink meaning females give birth to live offspring instead of laying eggs. They defend their home range and families against conspecifics for up to several years.
The saltbush slender bluetongue is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the arid interior of eastern Australia. Although its conservation status is of least concern, it has been listed as endangered in New South Wales. The slender saltbush bluetongue has been recorded in Sturt National Park in New South Wales but extends into northeast South Australia and south-west Queensland.
Egernia douglasi, also known commonly as the Kimberley crevice-skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Cryptoblepharus adamsi, also known commonly as Adams's snake-eyed skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Queensland in Australia.
Cryptoblepharus richardsi is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Misima Island in the northwest of Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea.
Battersby's emo skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Oceania and Southeast Asia.
Phasmasaurus tillieri, commonly known as Tillier's maquis skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia.
Pseudemoia pagenstecheri, also known commonly as the southern grass tussock skink or the southern tussock grass skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Concinnia frerei, also known commonly as the stout bar-sided skink or the stout barsided skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Queensland in Australia.
Ctenotus burbidgei, also known commonly as the plain-backed Kimberley ctenotus, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Western Australia.
Ctenotus youngsoni, also known commonly as the Shark Bay south-west ctenotus and Youngson's ctenotus, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia. The specific name, youngsoni, is in honour of Australian zoologist William Kenneth Youngson. C. youngsoni is found in the Australian state of Western Australia. The preferred natural habitat of C. youngsoni is shrubland. C. youngsoni has well-developed limbs, with five toes on each of its four feet. C. youngsoni is oviparous.
Eremiascincus brongersmai, also known commonly as Brongersma's tree skink and the brown-sided bar-lipped skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the state of Western Australia.
