Lerista labialis | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Scincidae |
Genus: | Lerista |
Species: | L. labialis |
Binomial name | |
Lerista labialis Storr, 1971 | |
The southern sandslider (Lerista labialis) is a species of skink or Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and widespread across the continent, being most commonly found within sandy termite mounds. This is where they take safe refuge from the harsh Australian climate and various ground predators.
The southern sandslider is a small skink, with a snake-like body and tail. It is red to brown in colour with a darker brown line on the side, being very similar to Lerista bipes . The skink has no fore limbs and the hind limbs are small. [2] The southern sandslider has one supraocular (scales lying above the eyes) between the eyes and no supraciliaries (small scales along the outer margin of the upper eyelid). [2]
An adult female southern sandslider is generally much longer than an adult male. The females can reach approximately 38 to 60 mm (snout-to-vent) in length. The males only reach between 37 and 55 mm (snout-to-vent) in length. [3]
There are eight synonym for the southern sandslider, these include: [4]
Southern sandsliders are found throughout the desert plains of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Western Queensland and New South Wales. [5]
Southern sandsliders are most commonly found within the dune crests. This is mainly due to the suitability of this habitat in that it provides them with optimum temperatures, an adequate supply of food and the vegetation sparseness results in soft sandy areas that can aid in the reduction of energy costs (being able to move easily). [6]
Southern sandsliders are fossorial, nocturnal (night-active), and terrestrial. They have a very narrow preferred body temperature range, ranging between 21–36 °C. They are found within dunes not only for the availability of food but for its thermoregulation. The southern sandslider swims through the loose sand of termite mounds. [7]
They are abundant in sandy deserts [7] with vegetation cover that is sparse on dune crests. This benefits the species allowing for unrestrained burrowing. Dunes provide an optimum temperature for the survival of the skinks as well as providing their food source. [6]
The southern sandsliders breed throughout summer, however the Lerista species tend to breed in winter during the dry season. They lay shelled eggs within November and February with the clutch size generally being an average of 2. The southern sandsliders sex cannot be determined by an external examination, the only way to determine the sex of the individual is through internal examination. [3]
Southern sandsiders have diets that consume mostly termites, and this makes up at least 78% of their diet, with the last 22% resulting in invertebrate classes including that of Hemiptera, Neuroptera etc. [3] The southern sandsliders catch their food by foraging below the ground surface [8]
Southern sandsliders forage late at night to the early morning between the surface and just below finding termites and other invertebrates. Not only do they ingest termites and invertebrates, the sandsliders also consume sand. The sand is ingested and is used to aid in the digestion. [6]
Overall, the termites can offer a reliable food source for the southern sandslider. With the increase in rainfall, the southern sandslider benefits from this. The increase in rainfall impacts on the Spinifex species, these species become more abundant with the increase in water availability, spinifex is the diet of termites. With an increase of food availability for the termites, these will cause an increase of termite population. Thus, as the southern sandsliders pray becomes more abundant so will the southern sandslider. [3]
Southern sandsliders are not affected by the seasonal changes but are rain dependent on their food availability, however they will source other species of prey if they need to. They do not need to drink; as they receive water and re-hydrate through the food they eat. [9]
The Southern sandslider take refuge in dunes to protect themselves from surface-active predators and also the harm of the extreme temperatures within its environment. There are two main predators of the southern sandslider, these are the snake Simoselaps fasciolatus and the skink Eremiascincus fasciolatus . [6]
There are currently no major threats for the Southern sandslider, their protection status is considered as least concerned wildlife. [10]
A hopping mouse is any of about ten different Australian native mice in the genus Notomys. They are rodents, not marsupials, and their ancestors are thought to have arrived from Asia about 5 million years ago.
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Skinks are characterized by their smaller legs in comparison to typical lizards and are found in different habitats except arctic and subarctic regions.
The striped-faced dunnart(Sminthopsis macroura) is a small, Australian, nocturnal, "marsupial mouse," part of the family Dasyuridae. The species' distribution occurs throughout much of inland central and northern Australia, occupying a range of arid and semi-arid habitats.
Lampropholis delicata, the delicate skink, dark-flecked garden sun skink, garden skink, delicate garden skink, rainbow skink or plague skink, or the metallic skink is native to Australia and invasive in New Zealand and Hawaii where it is commonly found in gardens. The species is known for their color dimorphism between males and females; striped morphs and non-striped morphs exist in this species, however the stripe is less pronounced in males. This species' diet consists of a wide range of prey, such as spiders, bees, larvae, and termites. Mating occurs in the late summer and generally one clutch of 2 to 4 eggs are laid per year by each female.
Southern ningaui refers to Ningaui yvonneae, a tiny marsupial carnivore related to the Dasyuridae family. Similar in appearance to Ningaui ridei, found throughout central Australia, this species occurs in spinifex on semi-arid sandplains across the southern coast of the continent. The fur is a tawny or greyish olive colour, light grey below, and distinguished by shades of cinnamon. Ningaui yvonneae prefers smaller prey, including insects and spiders, but capable of killing and consuming larger animals such as cockroaches and skinks. Their narrow muzzle is used with quick and fierce bites about the head to despatch their meal. The species description was published in 1983, unknown until the closer examination of the genus Ningaui established in 1975.
The sandhill dunnart is a species of small carnivorous Australian marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It is known from four scattered arid areas of Australia: near Lake Amadeus in Northern Territory, the central Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, the southwestern edge of the Great Victoria Desert in Western Australia, and at Yellabinna in South Australia.
Grant's golden mole is a golden mole species. It is the only member of the genus Eremitalpa.
The sandy inland mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Also known as the Hermannsburg (Mission) false-mouse or Hermannsburg mouse, it is endemic to Australia and found widely yet sparsely through arid and semi-arid areas.
Morethia boulengeri is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and Indonesia.
The central netted dragon or central netted ground dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in a wide range of arid to semiarid regions of Australia. It is widespread across the continent, commonly found in open, sandy, desert habitats. It is a popular pet and can often be found in zoos.
The variable fat-tailed gecko or burrow-plug gecko is a diplodactylid gecko endemic to central and arid inland areas of Australia. Widespread across the continent, the variable fat-tailed is most commonly found in sandy desert habitats dominated by Spinifex grasses. They have also been bred in captivity by zoos and as pets.
The wood mulch-slider or Mueller's three-toed lerista, is a species of lizard belonging to the extensive family Scincidae, a family containing over 1,500 species. The species is found in a diverse range of climates and habitats throughout Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Named after the German-born Australian naturalist Baron Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich Müller (1825–1896), the species has been the subject of much morphological and nomenclature debate.
Brachyurophis fasciolatus is a species of snake from the family Elapidae, commonly named the narrow-banded shovel-nosed snake, or narrow-banded burrowing snake, and is a species endemic to Australia. Its common names reflect its shovel nose specialization, burrowing behaviour and banded body colour.
The desert egernia or unadorned desert-skink, desert skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The desert egernia is endemic to the continent of Australia, and is widespread, with populations recorded in all mainland states and territories except the Australian Capital Territory. The desert egernia is found in dry, desert areas with deep, uncompacted sandy/loamy soils and little significant vegetation cover.
Leonhardi's ctenotus, Leonhardi's skink, or common desert ctenotus is a species of skink found in a range of arid and semi-arid regions throughout mainland Australia. The species was named after German anthropologist Moritz von Leonhardi in 1919 and belongs to the Ctenotus genus, one of the largest generas of lizards in Australia.
The broad-banded sand-swimmer or Richardson's skink is a species of skink found in Australia.
The nubbinned fine-lined slider is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Queensland in Australia.
The eastern robust slider is a nocturnal, burrowing species of skink found in continental Australia. Other common names are 'spotted lerista', and 'common burrowing skink'. The earliest written description of the species was provided by Albert Günther in 1867, based on a specimen caught in Queensland.
The dwarf three-toed slider or wood mulch-slider is a species of skink found in Australia. Other common names for the species include timid slider and dwarf burrowing skink. The skink is a member of the Lerista genus which are confined to continental Australia and are mostly a burrowing species of skink. The genus consists of consists elongated, smooth-scaled, Fossorial lizards that are specialized for life in the upper soils and dry leaf litter through which they slide using Lateral undulation as a form of locomotive action, giving rise to their nickname as sliders. They normally emerge of a night-time to hunt for small Invertebrates such as ants, termites and insects. If disturbed, they dive immediately into any loose substrate to avoid predation, this behavior leaves behind a distinctive disrupted wavy track that often found on sandy flats or dunes, roads and tracks.
The yellow-tailed plain slider is a species of skink located primarily in the desert areas of South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales in Australia. This uncommon lizard can be identified by its bright yellow tail, and is usually found buried under loose soil, tree stumps and leaf litter.