Reptiles of the Lachlan

Biodiversity
1
Reptiles of the Lachlan
There have been 109 species of reptile recorded in
the Lachlan catchment. Reptiles are animals which
regulate their body temperature via the external
environment, and are useful natural pest controllers
that eat many pests including mice, rats, snails and
insects. Cats and dogs, and the intentional killing of
snakes are the biggest threat to these animals. All native
reptiles in Australia are protected under the National
Parks and Wildlife Act 1979, and it is illegal to keep
them in captivity without a licence.
Reptiles will mostly want to avoid you at all times and
they often rely on camouflage as a defence from
predators, so we often don’t notice them. This fact
sheet will help you to spot some of the interesting and
useful reptiles around you.
Eastern or Common
Blue-tongue Lizard
(Tiliqua scincoides)
The Blue–tongue is one of
the most well known reptiles.
It is silver-grey to yellowBlue-tongue Lizard
© Milton Lewis
brown, with dark bands running
across its body and tail. It is common in gardens and
leaf litter, and is great to have around to reduce snails
and other garden pests. It is very vulnerable, as it
can’t climb and is often attacked by dogs and cats.
Shingleback or
Stumpy - tail Lizard
(Tiliqua rugosa)
Stumpy-tail Lizard
© Milton Lewis
Described as ‘an elongated
pine cone’ and ‘ponderously
slow’, this lizard is common
www.lachlan.cma.nsw.gov.au
on the western slopes and plains. It is dark brown to
black with a large triangular head, blue tongue and
short bulbous, blunt tail. The tail is a storehouse of
food which it uses when food is not as abundant. It
mates for life, and has only one or two young each
year that are born very large in order to survive the
harsh inland conditions.
Olive Legless Lizard
(Delma inornata)
This lizard is grey to brown
with a yellow throat and an
obvious external ear opening.
Olive Legless Lizard
It is often mistaken for a
© Daniel Florance
snake. It has a variety of
habitats including wet forests, dry plains, woodlands
and mallee country. It is usually found sheltering in
grass tussocks, under logs or in litter, and when
disturbed can be very active, often leaping several
centimetres off the ground. To confuse predators it
may shed its tail, which breaks into wriggling pieces.
Eastern Bearded
Dragon
(Pogona barbata)
This lizard is grey to brown
in colour, with a dark eye
Bearded Dragon
stripe and a spiny body
© Gus Arnott
and tail. When threatened, it
opens its bright yellow mouth, causing the throat to
swell into a spiny ‘beard’. Being well adapted to human
habitation, it is one of our most familiar reptiles. Often
seen perching on fence posts and logs, it will quickly
scuttle up tree trunks if disturbed.
Biodiversity
2
Reptiles of the Lachlan
Marbled Gecko
(Christinus marmoratus)
This lizard shelters under
the bark of trees, fallen timber,
or in rock crevices during
the day. It has large finger
Marbled Gecko
© Daniel Florance
and toe pads and a flat
body, often with orange coloured specks on the tail. It
is very shy of light and will only emerge from its shelter
to hunt when it is nearly dark. They are insectivores
and help reduce insect numbers.
Eastern Long-necked
Turtle
(Chelodina longicollis)
This common reptile is found
in aquatic habitats with slow
Eastern Long-necked Turtle
moving water such as farm
© Crocodiles and dragons
dams, swamps, irrigation
channels, rivers and creeks, where it shelters in aquatic
vegetation. It has webbed feet with strong claws for
swimming, digging and tearing apart its prey. When
dams and water bodies dry up, it has an innate ability
to locate other wet areas often up to 10kms away
and is often found crossing roads. It feeds on aquatic
animals and uses its long neck like a snake to rapidly
strike at passing prey.
Red-naped Snake
(Furina diadema)
A reddish brown snake, the
head and nape are black
with a conspicuous red or
Red-naped Snake
© Daniel Florance
www.lachlan.cma.nsw.gov.au
orange patch. Active at night, it preys mainly on small
lizards. It is found in a wide range of dry habitats, often
under rocks, logs, leaves, timber piles, old sheets
of iron, or near ant colonies or termite nests. The
Red-naped Snake is venomous, but is regarded as
virtually harmless.
Blue-bellied Black
Snake
(Pseudechis guttatus)
A shiny black snake with
dark grey-blue belly and
Blue-bellied Black Snake
blunt snout, it averages
© avru.org
1.2m in length. It is found
in hilly woodlands, often under logs and debris or in
abandoned burrows. It is very docile and slow moving,
and will avoid contact with humans, but when threatened
it will flatten its body and emit a loud whistling hiss. It
provides an important ecosystem service by preying
on mice and rats. Its bite can be fatal.
Yellow-faced Whip
Snake
(Demansia psammophis)
A very slender snake with a
long, thin, whip-like tail and
Yellow-faced Whip Snake
large prominent eyes. It is
© Daniel Florance
generally pale olive or bluish
grey, often with a rusty flush or stripes along the front
third of its body. It lives in dry open forest, woodland,
and grassland and eats skinks, frogs and lizard eggs.
It is a venomous snake, but is not considered dangerous.
However, a bite can be extremely painful, with significant
local swelling.