Bellatorias frerei
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The major skink (Bellatorias frerei) is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to part of Australia and part of Australasia. The specific name, frerei, refers to Mount Bartle Frere where the holotype was collected.
B. frerei is found in Australia in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, and in Papua New Guinea. B. frerei is found in a variety of habitats including forest, savanna, grassland, rocky areas, and suburban areas.
The holotype of B. frerei has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 9.3 cm (3.7 in), plus a tail length of 14 cm (5.5 in). B. frerei is terrestrial and diurnal, basking to thermoregulate, and living socially in small colonies.
B. frerei is omnivorous. B. frerei is ovoviviparous. Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. ISBN 978-0643100350. Gardner MG, Hugall AF, Donnellan SC, Hutchinson MN, Foster R (2008). "Molecular systematics of social skinks: phylogeny and taxonomy of the Egernia group... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Healesville Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Frankfurt Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | VigoNature | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Cairns Aquarium | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Major Skink sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 27 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and December
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Major Skink in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to August, the lowest months. Those are among Springbrook National Park's wettest months, with about 170 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in August.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Major 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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Major Skink sightings, Springbrook National Park ranks 4th at about 20%. The best odds are in Noosa National Park (Australia, about 40%), Daintree National Park (Australia, about 30%) and Lamington National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Major Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Springbrook National Park (22 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.
