Anepischetosia maccoyi
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
Anepischetosia maccoyi, also known commonly as the highlands forest-skink, highlands forest skink, Maccoy's elf skink, and McCoy's skink, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Eugongylinae of the family Scincidae. The species is the only species in the monotypic genus Anepischetosia, and is endemic to Australia.
The specific name, maccoyi, is in honor of Irish zoologist Frederick McCoy. The generic name, Anepischetosia, was created by Australian herpetologists Richard W. Wells and C. Ross Wellington in 1985 to replace the generic name, Anepischetos, which was preoccupied by a genus of moths. Anepischetosia is in the subfamily Eugongylinae.
Anepischetosia maccoyi is found in the Australian States of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria. The preferred natural habitat of Anepischetosia maccoyi is forest. Anepischetosia maccoyi is terrestrial. It shelters under leaf litter and fallen logs.
Anepischetosia maccoyi appears to be ovoviviparous. The Reptile Database describes the species as being oviparous. However, Lucas and Frost, in their original description of the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a McCoy's Skink sighting in Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 19 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May, July and October–November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a McCoy's Skink in Great Otway National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September, the lowest month.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most McCoy's 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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate McCoy's Skink sightings, Great Otway National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Wilsons Promontory National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the McCoy's Skink that you can see in Great Otway National Park (family Scincidae, Skinks) are Cool-temperate Water Skink (about 40%), Pale-flecked Garden Sunskink (about 30%) and Blotched Bluetongue (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the McCoy's Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Great Otway National Park (29 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
