View source for Biology:Common garden skink

{{Short description|Species of lizard endemic to Australia}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Garden skink.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Lampropholis
| species = guichenoti
| authority = (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
| synonyms = *''Lygosoma guichenoti'' <br />{{small|A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839}}
*''Lygosoma duperreyii'' <br />{{small|A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839}} (part)
*''Lygosoma (Mocoa) guttulatum'' <br />{{small|W. Peters, 1881}}
*''Lygosoma (Leiolopisma) guichenoti'' <br />{{small|— M.A. Smith, 1937}}
*''Lampropholis guichenoti'' <br />{{small|— Greer, 1974}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=RDB>[http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Lampropholis&species=guichenoti ''Lampropholis guichenoti'']. The Reptile Database.</ref>
}}

The '''common garden skink''' ('''''Lampropholis guichenoti''')'' is a small [[Biology:Species|species]] of [[Biology:Lizard|lizard]] in the family [[Biology:Scincidae|Scincidae]]. The species is [[Biology:Endemism|endemic]] to {{wipe|Australia}}. Additional common names for ''L. guichenoti'' include '''grass skink''', '''Guichenot's grass skink''', '''pale-flecked garden sunskink''', and '''penny lizard'''.

==Etymology==
The [[Biology:Specific name (zoology)|specific name]], ''guichenoti'', is in honor of French [[Biology:Zoology|zoologist]] Antoine Alphonse Guichenot.<ref>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Lampropholis guichenoti'', p. 111).</ref>

==Geographic range==
In Australia, ''L. guichenoti'' is often seen in suburban gardens in [[Place:Adelaide|Adelaide]], [[Place:Melbourne|Melbourne]], Perth, [[Place:Sydney|Sydney]], [[Place:Canberra|Canberra]] and Brisbane, but also is common across most of Southern Australia, Tasmania, and some of New South Wales. {{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

==Description==
''L. guichenoti'' can grow to a maximum total length (including tail) of {{cvt|14|cm|in}}, but the average total length is {{cvt|8|–|10|cm|in}}. The average common garden skink lives for 2–3 years. It usually has a browny black colour and sometimes may appear a dark shade of red when bathing in the sun. The lighter its colour, the more energetic it is. It has small sharp teeth which easily slice through smaller prey. Even wild individuals are very docile, and rarely bite humans when touched or picked up.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

The female pale-flecked garden sunskink has a yellowish, almost orange tinge to her underside, however the males have a light grey tinge to their underside. Females are often bigger than the males in size.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

Capable swimmers, skinks have been known to dive under water to evade predators and remain submerged for several minutes until a threat has passed.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

==Diet==
The common garden skink feeds on invertebrates, including crickets, moths, slaters, earthworms, flies, grubs and caterpillars, grasshoppers, cockroaches, earwigs, slugs, dandelions, small spiders, ladybeetles and many other small insects, which makes it a very helpful animal around the garden.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} In captivity, it can also be fed fruit and vegetables, but the vegetables have to be cooked for the skink to be able to eat it. Skinks especially love bananas and strawberries etc. (no citrus fruit).{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} The common garden skink relies purely on the movement of its prey when hunting. When hunting, the skink will either hide and wait for prey to come by or actively pursue it (this depends on how hungry it is). Once it has caught its prey, it shakes it around vigorously to kill it before swallowing it whole. Once it has had one meal, it begins to actively pursue prey for a short while with its newfound energy{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}. The common garden skink only needs one prey item per four or five days, thus making it an ideal pet for small children{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}. It can be fed earthworms if the soil is drained out of them with salt water, because worms are too high in soil.<ref>[https://www.backyardbuddies.org.au/fact-sheets/skinks Help skinks thrive in your garden]. backyardbuddies.org.au</ref>{{Failed verification|date=October 2023}}{{Better source needed|date=October 2023}}

==Habitat==
Although ''L. guichenoti'' is often seen under leaves, in long grass and under rocks so that it can watch its prey, it also often prefers hiding in logs where its larger predators cannot reach it. As with most reptiles, the common garden skink is cold-blooded, and may be seen on top of rocks or paths in the morning trying to warm its blood. It prefers large areas with a lot of leaves and soft soil. It is normally found around hot and dusty areas that have many trees and stumps.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

==Predators==
The common garden skink's predators are mainly birds and cats. Even tiny birds like robins are a threat. Larger lizards and snakes will sometimes try to eat it as well. Like many other skinks, its tail will drop if grasped roughly. The disconnected tail will twitch vigorously for a while, capturing the attention of the predator while the lizard makes its escape. This survival tactic may seem hard for the skink to tolerate, but it is quite the opposite. Although it may cost the skink some energy, the skink's tail will eventually grow back to normal.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

==Eggs==
The common garden skink is oviparous<ref name=RDB/> and lays small white eggs between summer and mid autumn. The female usually lays about six eggs, often in communal [[Biology:Clutch (eggs)|clutches]] that may contain as many as 250 eggs altogether, usually under a cluster of rocks to keep them safe from predators. The eggs hatch in a matter of weeks after they are laid. Most eggs are around {{cvt|10|mm|in}}.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1839). ''Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome cinquième'' [Volume 5]. Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp. (''Lygosoma guichenoti'', new species, pp.&nbsp;713–714; ''L. duperreyii'', new species, p.&nbsp;715). (in French).

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3008546}}

[[Category:Lampropholis]]

{{Sourceattribution|Common garden skink}}