Snake snack warning knell for endangered lizard

A spotted mulga snake was found to have eaten a pygmy spiny-tailed skink beside a sandy track about 300km east of Geraldton in Western Australia, raising fears for the similar-looking, endangered lizard species, the western spiny-tailed skink.

Curtin University lead researcher Holly Bradley said the discovery of the partially digested pygmy spiny-tailed skink within the snake had implications for the vulnerable spiny-tailed species.

''We unfortunately don't know a lot about the western spiny-tailed skink, so even just figuring out there's a potential predator is really useful information,'' Dr Bradley said.

"Australia is a hotspot for reptile diversity, but with much of our diversity in the remote, dry, and hot areas which are difficult to access, a lot is unknown about our native snakes and lizards.''

Pygmy spiny-tailed skinks look and act like the endangered western spiny-tailed skink's babies, so the likelihood of mulga snakes preying upon them was plausible, the researcher said.

"The snake's consumption of the pygmy spiny-tailed skink raises concerns about the susceptibility of similar-sized juvenile western spiny-tailed skinks, which also inhabit the midwest region and are classified as endangered," Dr Bradley said.

Researchers said the discovery represented an improvement in their understanding of Australian reptile ecology and would aid their efforts to mitigate risks to the reptiles.

The experts believed this would help inform conservation efforts and ensure the survival of Australia's native reptilian species.

''Hopefully this finding helps show that, even in 2024, we're still finding out basic information about these things such as what predator they have and what species they prey on," Dr Bradley said.

Australian Associated Press