Land Mullet
Encyclopedia
Egernia major, also known as Land Mullet, is one of the largest members of the skink
family (Scincidae).
The species may reach total lengths of up to 60 cm. 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.
The unusual name comes from the pungent, fishy odour emitted when threatened.
Native to Australia
, they are generally restricted to the rainforest of south-eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is the northern side of the Hawkesbury River
in the south, to the Conondale Range
, near Maleny in south eastern Queensland.
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 baking sites to be available. It is less frequently found in other types of environs, such as the open eucalypt woodland of the region.
They can be easily confused with the related Egernia frerei, the Major Skink.
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
family (Scincidae).
The species may reach total lengths of up to 60 cm. 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.
The unusual name comes from the pungent, fishy odour emitted when threatened.
Native to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, they are generally restricted to the rainforest of south-eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is the northern side of the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
in the south, to the Conondale Range
Conondale Range
The Conondale Range is a mountain range in Queensland, located between Maleny, Kenilworth, Kilcoy and Jimna. The range is the most westerly part of the Sunshine Coast hinterland and part of the Great Dividing Range. The highest point on the range is Mount Langley reaching 868 m above sea level...
, near Maleny in south eastern Queensland.
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 baking sites to be available. It is less frequently found in other types of environs, such as the open eucalypt woodland of the region.
They can be easily confused with the related Egernia frerei, the Major Skink.