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| shingleback | |
|---|---|
| Name | Shingleback |
| Status | Least Concern |
| Status system | IUCN3.1 |
| Genus | Tiliqua |
| Species | Tiliqua rugosa complex |
| Authority | (Peters, 1869) |
shingleback The shingleback is a short-tailed, heavy-bodied blue-tongued lizard native to southern and central regions of Australia. It is notable for its armored, keratinous scales, broad triangular head, and a short stumpy tail resembling its head, adaptations that attract attention from naturalists, herpetologists, and ecotourists alike. The species has figured in studies alongside work by institutions and figures in zoology and conservation.
The shingleback belongs to the genus Tiliqua, within the family Scincidae, and is commonly treated as part of the Tiliqua rugosa species complex recognized by taxonomists and museums such as the Australian Museum and the Natural History Museum, London. Historical descriptions were published by scientists following traditions exemplified by Wilhelm Peters and communicated through networks including the Royal Society and the Zoological Society of London. Vernacular names reflect local usage, with Indigenous Australian languages and settlers contributing to nomenclature recorded in works associated with the Royal Geographical Society. Modern revisions reference comparative studies from universities such as University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and international collaborators at Smithsonian Institution.
Adults have robust, dorsoventrally flattened bodies with large, rough scales giving a shingled appearance; measurements are reported in field guides produced by Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria and regional checklists. Coloration ranges from brown to grey with pale blotches, documented in surveys supported by the Atlas of Living Australia and academic journals like Journal of Herpetology. The tail is short and swollen, superficially resembling the head, a trait noted in classical monographs and referenced by curators at the South Australian Museum and the Queensland Museum. Teeth and skull morphology have been compared in anatomical studies from laboratories at institutions including Monash University and University of Adelaide.
Shinglebacks inhabit southern and central Australia, with populations mapped by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and conservation programs run by state agencies such as the Department of Environment and Heritage (South Australia) and the Department of Environment and Science (Queensland). Habitats include woodlands, shrublands, coastal dunes and semi-arid plains recorded in ecological assessments conducted by researchers from CSIRO and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Range maps appear in fauna atlases associated with the National Museum of Australia and field surveys coordinated with groups like the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Shinglebacks display site fidelity, thermoregulatory basking behavior, and seasonal movements examined in field studies from institutions such as La Trobe University and Flinders University. Their defensive behaviors, including mouth-gaping to display a blue tongue, are comparable to descriptions in ethology texts authored by scholars affiliated with the Royal Society of Biology and cited by wildlife documentaries produced by broadcasters like the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC Natural History Unit. Social behaviors, including long-term pair bonds and home-range overlap, have been the subject of longitudinal studies published via academic presses linked to Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.
Shinglebacks are omnivorous; stomach content analyses and stable isotope studies by researchers at University of Western Australia and Murdoch University document diets of invertebrates such as beetles and snails, fruits of native plants catalogued by botanists from the Australian National Botanic Gardens, and carrion. Foraging patterns mirror findings in broader herpetofauna literature disseminated through journals like Ecology Letters and Austral Ecology, with seasonal shifts recorded by field teams supported by grants from bodies such as the Australian Research Council.
Reproduction is viviparous, with females giving birth to live young after extended gestation periods noted in reproductive studies associated with the University of Tasmania and the Western Australian Museum. Life-history parameters including litter size and juvenile growth rates have been detailed in theses and papers archived by institutions like Griffith University and referenced in species accounts prepared for the IUCN and regional wildlife agencies. Long-term monitoring programs, sometimes coordinated with citizen science initiatives such as those run by the Australian Geographic Society, contribute to knowledge of longevity and survivorship.
Although assessed as Least Concern by conservation assessments influenced by data from the IUCN Red List process and national biodiversity strategies, shinglebacks face threats from habitat loss due to agriculture, road mortality documented in reports by the Australian Automobile Association, predation by introduced species like foxes and feral cats considered in control programs by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and illegal wildlife trade monitored by agencies including INTERPOL and customs services. Conservation actions involve habitat protection initiatives supported by non-governmental organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature and local landcare groups, research funding from the Australian Research Council, and public education campaigns broadcast through partners like the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Category:Skinks of Australia