Help ID skink please

[kotuko]

Hi,

My name is Penny and I am new to the forum. I was wondering if any of you could help mt identify a skink I have living in my garage (no photo, unfortunately). I will describe it best I can;

*Pale, bluish/beige in colour (solid in colour, no patterns).
*Very slender body and head, very long tail, blue tongue and mouth. Not at all 'stumpy'.
*Around 35-40cm in length.

I've never seen anything like this fellow. I have 'regular' Blue Tongue's here as well as 3 other varieties of common garden skinks, plus a Robust Gecko who's taken up residence in my kitchen!

I live near Newcastle (Eastern NSW)

Thanx!

Penny

[Katrina]

I'm not sure what it could be - hopefully someone from that area will see this and have an idea. If you go to the sites's main page, on the left there is a list of all the different blue tongue skink species and each page has pictures - that may help narrow it down. Good luck and welcome!!

[James Wilson]

It looks like you have a Slender Blue-tongue from the genus Cyclodomorphus. The only one in your area that I am aware of is the Mainland She-Oak Skink (Cyclodomorphus michaeli). New Castle is at the Northern portion of its range, and it ranges down the NSW coast to the extreme western tip of Victoria (just south of Eden, NSW). Your skink's description, size and range all fit. Here are some photos of this skink:

[kotuko]

Hi again,

Thankyou Katrina and James, for your replies!

James, that's the one! Thanx so much for identifying the skink for me. Mine looks exactly like the 2nd photo. I just love having these creatures around and like to know what they are, to make sure they're native.

He/she enjoys eating the beetles and things attracted by the lights.

Thanx again, you guys are great!

Penny