Gaint legless Skink - Acontias plumbeus – family Scincidae

Giant legless Skink - Acontias plumbeus – family Scincidae • Note : I had to extract bits and pieces of information from a number of different Internet sites to make up the species notes for this posting and thus in instead of naming all the research sources I thought I’d rather just mention that information on this species is very sparse and was difficult to obtain. Basic Info Firstly Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. The Giant legless skink is the largest of the legless skinks The Giant Legless Lizard averages between 16-18 inches (45cm) in length and extremely thick around the middle (with specimens up to 55cm been recorded) They usually weigh between 300 to 600 grams. The Legless Lizard, as the name would suggest does not have developed legs and to the naked eye resembles a snake and thus often killed. However, they do have free-floating hipbones and the nubs of underdeveloped leg bones. Skinks have thick stocky body which can get to approximately ½ metre in length and have a short blunt cylindrical tail. The head is broad and elongated, with a duck like face due to it having a hard snout which looks like a beak on the top of its head. They have powerful jaws and teeth which can inflict a painful bite, but it's not harmful to man. Habitat These creatures live underground and are seldom seen and like to burrow. They can be found in various habitat types from desert sand and coastal dunes, dry shrub land and savanna, to woodland humus and forest floors. Behaviour They are often seen after lots of rain, due to the areas getting clogged with rain, which forces them to the surface. They are diurnal reptiles, meaning they hunt during the day. Giant legless skinks hunt on the ground. They main hunting method is to ambush their prey from below ground. Diet They eat things like mealworms, crickets, even frogs, small mammals, bird eggs, insects, and earthworms which they kill with their crushing bite Reproduction They bear live young and can have up to 14 at a time

Photo taken by KimPhillips Other articles that i found on them in regards to Hluhluwe Imfolozi park : http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo164453.htm