Shingleback lizard

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=95 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="21a8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>index</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="index"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id138.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thicktail gecko"><U>Thick-tail gecko</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Northern LeafTail Gecko"><U>Northern Leaf-Tail Gecko</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Southern Angleheaded Dragon"><U>Southern Angle-headed Dragon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Water Skink"><U>Eastern Water Skink</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id151.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Northern Blue Tongue Skink"><U>Northern Blue Tongue Skink</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id153.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Bluetongue skink"><U>Eastern Blue-tongue skink</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Water Dragons"><U>Eastern Water Dragons</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id139.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Bearded Dragon"><U>Eastern Bearded Dragon</U></A>   |   <B>Shingleback lizard</B>   |   <A HREF="id177.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Central Bearded Dragon"><U>Central Bearded Dragon</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="21a8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Shingleback lizard</I></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="951" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#003300" BORDERCOLORDARK="#006633" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 WIDTH="379"><div> <I><B>Common Name: </B></I>Shingleback Lizard</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=6><NOBR><bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="37e226c0.jpg" border=0 width="546" height="364" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Photo by Allan Friis</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Scientific Name: </B></I>Trachydosaurus rugosus</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 1 WIDTH="379"><div> <I><B>General characteristics: </B></I>A  large robust skink with a large broad triangular head and a wide greyish-blue tongue.  It has a short blunt tail which they use to store fat.  It has short but strong legs with 5 digits and large scales.  On the top of its body it is yellowish-brown to black and underneath is cream to white usually with grey to brown stripes, bands or blotches.  A slow moving lizard that is active in the day and is often seen basking or roads and rocks.  They pair off early September and stay together for 6-8 weeks, spending most of their time in contact or very close together.  These lizards are monogamous and partners reform over successive years.  They mate in spring and females give birth to 1-3 large young about 15 cm long in late summer or early autumn, after about 5 months gestation.  They become sexually mature in 3-4 years and may live to 20 years or more.  They grow to 40 cm long.</div> <div> <I><B>Diet: </B></I>Green plant matter, ground blossoms, insects, snails.</div> <div> <I><B>Habitat: </B></I>Dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands to hummock grasslands and shrublands: along the coast and hinterland, in arid and semi-arid areas.</div> <div> <I><B>Status:</B></I> Secure</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>