Liopholis whitii
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
White's skink (Liopholis whitii), also known commonly as White's rock skink, is a species of lizard in the skink family. It was first described in 1804 by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède. It is endemic to Australia.
L. whitii is highly variable and may be a complex of closely related species The specific name, whitii, honours Irish surgeon and naturalist John White. Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
Liopholis whitii moniligera (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839) Liopholis whitii whitii (Lacèpėde, 1804) L. whitii is widespread in south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania and many Bass Strait islands. Natural habitats of the species include forest, shrubland, and rocky areas, at altitudes from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft). The preferred habitat has rocks and shrubby heathland with minimal environmental disturbance.
White's skink is a stocky, slow-growing, medium-sized species, reaching a maximum snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 90 mm (3.5 in). Both sexes are mature at ~75 mm (3.0 in) (SVL), a size typically achieved... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White's Rock-skink sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 45 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 23 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White's Rock-skink in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in April–July, September and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White's Rock-skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate White's Rock-skink sightings, Melbourne ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Hobart (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the White's Rock-skink that you can see in Melbourne (family Scincidae, Skinks) are Common Bluetongue (about 20%), Pale-flecked Garden Sunskink (about 20%) and Southern Weasel Skink (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White's Rock-skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Melbourne (45 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
