Lizards > Skinks > Western Rock Skink

Skinks (Scincidae; skinke, gladde akkedisse)

Western Rock Skink / Westelike Rotsskink, Koppieskink

Trachylepis sulcata

Size Adult snout-vent length ranges from 60-80 mm.

Description A slender, medium-sized skink with a flattened body, well-developed limbs and a tail that is more or less equal in length to the body length. There is a window in each lower eyelid. The scales on the soles of the feet are spiny.

Coloration of males and females is different. In juveniles and adult females the body is chocolate- to olive-brown with six dirty-gold, longitudinal stripes. The chin and throat region may be infused with yellow-orange and is usually heavily spotted with black. The belly is dirty white in colour. Sexually mature males do not have the longitudinal stripes and become infused with black. In certain areas, the males may be completely black above and below. In males from Namaqualand and Namibia, males are usually olive to dirty bronze on the hind body and black elsewhere.

Biology As its common name suggests, the Western Rock Skink is a rock-dweller. Its flattened body allows it to utilize narrow crevices for shelter. Rock-dwelling species are normally more exposed to predators than ground-dwelling ones when they are active on the rocks and they need to be speedy to escape attacks. They must also be able to cope with vertical rock faces and for this the limbs need to be well-developed. It is thus no wonder that the tail and limbs of the Rock skink are relatively longer than that of ground-dwelling skink species. Like most skinks, it is an active forager, walking around looking for food. When necessary, it will spend considerable time basking in the sun. At night it will shelter in crevices and a male and female may share a crevice. It is not certain whether individuals return to the same crevice each night. Among lizards, a striped pattern is typical of active foragers. It serves to confuse predators when the lizard is moving. Why adult males of the Rock Skink loose their striped pattern on reaching sexual maturity, remains a mystery. The function of male coloration in a social context is probably more important than its role in camouflaging. Its diet includes various invertebrate species. The Rock Skink is live-bearing and gives birth to 2-5 babies during November-March.

Distribution The Rock Skink is restricted to the dry western regions of southern Africa, from southern Angola through Namibia and the Northern Cape to the dry interior of the Western Cape and extreme western Free State.

Distribution in the GCBC Probably occurs throughout the Corridor.

Conservation status Not listed.

Threats None identified.

Current studies None.