South-Western  Crevice Egernia Egernia napoleonis

This is from the Egernia striolata group which has 8 taxa.

This is a fairly common skink seen around Perth and the Darling Range.  It is 130mm long from its snout to vent (not including the tail). 

 It lives in a variety of places such as wet and dry forests such as eucalyptus forests, woodlands, coastal heathlands and rock outcrops in humid to subhumid southwest of Western Australia.

There are several South-western Crevice Egernia's at Piney Lakes in Perth off Leech Hwy Melville as they congregate as a family group.  As this is close to where I live I have spent many hours enjoying their company on the broad walk.  They often scatter or leap when people walk by but soon re-emerge to sun themselves.

They have rough edged (keeled) scales along their backs.

South-western Crevice Egernia's are approx 130mm long from snout to vent.

They have no trouble running up the nearest tree either.  This one was coloured bright orange under its lower body.  They also like to shelter in grass trees, under rocks and in bark.

I've found these Egernia's at Piney Lakes to make a quick short dash less than .5m away and then you can approach quite close within 30cm.  They could be used to people walking around the wetlands.

 What do they eat? 

They are omnivorous.  Feeding during the day on a wide variety of  invertebrates and some plant matter.

Possibly the South-western Crevice Egernia's that live around ponds and lakes may eat dragonflies as seen here at Piney Lakes in Perth.

These are possibly south-western Crevice Erginia's. These photographs were taken at Mt Cooke near Perth in August.  The skink on the right has lost its tail.

They have 3-4 live offspring.

This is on top of Mt Cooke in Perth where these skinks have been seen.

I think this is a South-west Crevice Egernia but in the dark brown form.  It was seen at Mt Dale off Brookton Hwy in September.

Text;
"Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region" by Brian Bush, Brad Maryan, Robert Browne-Cooper and David Robinson.
"Australian Reptiles A Photographic Reference to the Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia" by Stephen K Wilson, David G Knowles.

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