Eulamprus heatwolei

Yellow-bellied Water Skink at Pambula, NSW

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Identification history

	Eulamprus heatwolei	28 Jun 2018	PatrickCampbell
	Eulamprus heatwolei	31 Jul 2017	TandyM

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5 comments

JackieMiles wrote:

8 Aug 2017

Need to be able to see the top of the head better to distinguish from the very similar E. quoyii, which is also theoretically here. Heatwolei has black specks on the top of the head, quoyii not. Both have the black stripe with paler speckles along the sides.

PatrickCampbell wrote:

28 Jun 2018

I'm confident that this is Eulamprus heatwolei. I can seen enough distinguishing features to be sure of this i.e no pale anterior dorsolateral stripe, heavy spotting on top of head, dark anterior margin of tympanum, pale temporal spot, indication of pale streak above eye extending back a little, hint of yellow underside of rear legs, dark-specks on edge of throat and slightly barred lips.

JackieMiles wrote:

28 Jun 2018

Hi "bushman" - if you are going to suggest an ID, when I've already said why I think it can't be ID'd, it would be helpful if you mounted an argument as to why you think it is heatwolei. I'm no expert on skinks, but I have gone to a fair bit of trouble trying to ID the ones on our place with the critter in the hand, and still found the differences a bit unconvincing. But if you think this is definitely heatwolei, then I'm happy to confirm it, but only if you tell me why!

JackieMiles wrote:

28 Jun 2018

OK then, now I can see you know what you are talking about. Maybe you ought to be getting moderator status, or if you already have it, then confirming things yourself rather than just commenting. Sounds like the description of heatwolei has been refined a bit over time. My rather old copy of Cogger has both it and quoyii and tympanum with a pale anterior stripe from above the eye, and tympanum with black specks on the top of the head, and the distribution maps have tympanum just south of us and quoyii just north, so its all a bit impossible just using Cogger.

PatrickCampbell wrote:

30 Jun 2018

That's not a bad idea Jackie.

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