Reptiles of the Mount Alexander Region

Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis)
The most common snake in this district. Can grow to 2 m and shelters in or under logs or other cover.

Eastern Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus)
A medium snake (to 1.2 m), found mainly in the proximity of water.

Blackish Blind Snake (Anilios nigrescens)
A moderate sized (to 750mm) snake with small eyes found in woodlands and rainforest, usually beneath rocks and logs. One of two species in this group found in our region.

Lace Monitor (Varanus varius)
The only goanna that is regularly seen in our area.  They can grow up to 2m in length.  They will often climb trees if disturbed.

Shingle-back; Stumpy-tailed Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa)
These are quite long-lived lizards in the skink family that mate for life. They are often seen in pairs in late spring and early summer. Widespread and moderately common large (to 41 cm), slow-moving lizard.

Common Blue-tongued Lizard (Tiliqua scincoides)
Widespread and common large (to 60 cm), slow-moving lizard, found in both bush and residential areas.

Skinks
In addition to the two species of skink mentioned above our region is home to a number of smaller skinks. These are distinguished by their relatively long bodies and short legs and necks. With the local exception of Cunningham’s Skink, their scales are usually smooth and shiny.

The most common in this region is the Garden Skink (Lampropholis guichenoti), and the least common are Cunningham’s (Egernia cunninghami) and Eastern Three-lined Skinks (Acritoscincus duperreyi). Also found in reasonable numbers are White’s (Liopholis whitii), Bougainville’s (Lerista bougainvillii) and Boulanger’s Skinks (Morethia boulangeri).

Jacky Lizard; Tree Dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus)
This is the most common dragon that occurs in our region. Jacky Lizards are moderately large (10-12cm head-body) with a long tail and spiny scales. They are found in open woodland where they will often bask on branches and dead sticks.

Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata)
Eastern Bearded Dragons are rare in our region although there have been several reported sightings in recent years and they may be becoming more common. They are a large robust lizard (< 27cm head-body) with a long tail and many spiny scales. They have a characteristic beard of spines around the throat which is often blackish. They are found in open woodland where they will often bask on fence posts, branches and dead sticks, sometimes several meters above the ground.

Geckos
Geckos are small nocturnal lizards. Their skin has a soft, velvety appearance. The most common gecko in the district is the Marbled Gecko (Christinus marmoratus). This species is often found in the home, sometimes in small colonies. Two other geckos, generally uncommon, are the Thick-tailed or Barking Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milii) and the Eastern Stone or Wood Gecko (Diplodactylus vittatus).

Common Long-necked Turtle; Eastern Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

This is the common turtle found in this region. It is a semi-aquatic reptile living in larger rivers, dams and waterholes.