Mountain Skink (Liopholis montana)
Photo: Matt Clancy
Description
- The Mountain Skink is a small lizard also known as a Tan-backed Skink.
- It has a square-shaped body and grows up to 111 mm from its nose to the base of its tail ('snout vent length').
- It is related to White's skink which is found at lower altitudes and has conspicuous markings above the base of the forearm.
- Most skinks are fairly uniform grey brown with a reddish-brown back, but it can sometimes be patterned with flecks or stripes.
- Mountain Skinks live in colonies and form long-lasting pairs where females can have up to 4 babies.
Find out more about the Mountain Skink on Canberra NatureMapr.
Where are they
The Mountain Skink lives in mountain and subalpine areas. This includes:
- subalpine woodland areas in Namadgi National Park
- the Snowy Mountains in NSW
- Alpine National Park in Victoria.
The Mountain Skink's range overlaps with White’s Skink and the Guthega Skink, but even though its habitats are close, they’ve never been seen together.
The Mountain Skink can be found in high country woodlands that have:
- rocks for shelters and deep burrows
- rock outcrops
- screes
- tors
- large logs.
Conservation threats
The main threat to the Mountain Skink is the destruction of its habitat. Other threats include:
- more frequent and severe wildfires
- predators such as feral cats and foxes, especially after fires
- loss of foraging habitat due to destruction
- damage to habitat by feral herbivores like horses and deer, that reduce shelter and food
- logging and timber harvesting
- habitat clearing.
Conservation status
- International – (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List)
- National – Endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
- Australian Capital Territory – Endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014), Special Protection Status native species (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
Conservation actions
Conservation aims to maintain a healthy, wild population of Mountain Skinks in the ACT, especially as they’re at the edge of their range. This includes to:
- protect current and future habitats from disturbances such as trails, park infrastructure, planned burns, and habitat fragmentation
- conduct targeted surveys to understand where the species lives in the ACT and their habitat needs
- use climate modelling to predict the future distribution of the species under different climate change scenarios
- work with other regions and stakeholders to support research on the species, including population genetics, microhabitat needs, and fire tolerance intervals
- include the species’ ecological needs in management guidelines
- control invasive predators and weeds around the species’ colonies, especially after fires
- set up monitoring programs to detect feral animals such as horses, pigs, and deer near known colonies, and control them when needed
- explore how climate change affects population survival and take climate-sensitive actions where possible
- collect data on the skink’s reproduction and survival to understand population viability
- collaborate with universities and other regions to close knowledge gaps and create management plans that are ready for climate change.