Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii
Silhouette: Oliver Griffith · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii, also known commonly as Entrecasteaux's skink, the southern grass skink, the tussock cool-skink, and the tussock skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
P. entrecasteauxii is found in the south-east of the continent of Australia, as well as in Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait. Although it occurs in a variety of habitats, P. entrecasteauxii is most commonly found in open grassy woodlands.
The southern grass skink has a lifespan of about 5 or 6 years. P. entrecasteauxii grows up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) in length (not including the tail). Male skinks change colouration during the breeding season. The specific name, entrecasteauxii, is in honor of French naval officer and explorer Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux.
The southern grass skink has become a model species for reproductive biology in reptiles because it gives birth to live young and exhibits non-invasive epitheliochorial placentation. Unlike the majority of live bearing reptiles, Pseudemoia develop complex placentae, which provide a substantial...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Phillip Island Nature Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Entrecasteaux's Skink sighting in Phillip Island Nature Park on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 6 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report an Entrecasteaux's Skink in Phillip Island Nature Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to September, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Entrecasteaux'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.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Entrecasteaux's Skink sightings, Phillip Island Nature Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Kosciuszko National Park (Australia, about 40%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the Entrecasteaux's Skink that you can see in Phillip Island Nature Park (family Scincidae, Skinks) are Blotched Bluetongue (about 30%), Pale-flecked Garden Sunskink (about 20%) and Metallic Coolskink (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Entrecasteaux's Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Phillip Island Nature Park (49 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.
