Round Island Skink
Leiolopisma telfairii
Total body length, 22 - 27 cm
75 - 85 g
Fewer than 26,000
Prefers vegetated palm forest and weed-based habitat
Sweet relief, When introduced rabbits and goats were removed from their home, Round Island skink population rebounded. The two non-native species had upset the natural balance by clearing vegetation vital to the skink and its insect prey. One of eight endemic reptiles on the island, the skink hides between leaf litter and rocks during the hottest hours, foraging in the cooler part of the day and at night. Life is good, but living on an island with limited population, the future is always in question.
Sweet relief, When introduced rabbits and goats were removed from their home, Round Island skink population rebounded. The two non-native species had upset the natural balance by clearing vegetation vital to the skink and its insect prey. One of eight endemic reptiles on the island, the skink hides between leaf litter and rocks during the hottest hours, foraging in the cooler part of the day and at night. Life is good, but living on an island with limited population, the future is always in question.