Ctenotus regius

Ctentotus regius is a medium-sized skink, characterised by its longitudinally striped back and white spotted sides.[3] The species has a reddish-brown tail and its body is patterned by a blackish brown colour with a white-cream lateral stripe that runs from over the ear to below the eye, and white side spots in between the longitudinal lines that span the length of its body.[3] The average snout-to-vent length of the species is 7.2 cm[4] with females being recorded as slightly larger, on average, than their male counterparts.[5]

Ctenotus regius was first described by Glen Milton Store in 1970,[6] and has not since had a name revision.

The Pale-rumped Ctenotus is a member of the skink family (Scincidae), and the genus Ctenotus, often described as 'comb-eared' for its row of small scales on the anterior edge of its ears.[7] Many of the species within this genus are exceedingly similar in shape, build and appearance, with many differences only identifiable in their size and foraging and sheltering behaviours.[7]

Ctentotus regius is endemic to Australia, with a distribution isolated to the in north-west of New South Wales, the south-west of Queensland, the south-east of Northern Territory, the north-east of South Australia and the north-west of Victoria.[3] Atlas of Living Australia currently holds 7,697 records for the species across Australia, although some of these may be misidentifications.[3] Records for the species exist in a number of National Parks and Nature Reserves within New South Wales, including Mallee Cliffs NP, Tarawi NR, Mungo NP, Sturt NP, Kinchega NP, Nocoleche NR and Yathong NR.[8]

Australian Distribution of Ctenotus regius (Source: Atlas of Living Australia,[9] Google Street Maps[10])

The Pale-rumped Ctentotus inhabits sandy and loamy deserts in central Australia, seeking refuge in low shrubs including saltbush (Atriplex spp.), bluebush (Maireana spp.) and nitre bush (Nitraria billardierei).[3]

Although much is still unknown about the species' ecological ties to its predators and prey, Grey Butcherbirds (Cracticus torquatus) have been observed preying upon the species in Murray-Sunset National Park in Victoria.[2]

The species has been observed to occupy a home range, with estimates ranging from 40-60 metres.[5]

The Pale-rumped Ctentotus is an oviparous (egg-laying) species.[11] Females are on average larger than their male counterparts and lay a clutch of approximately two eggs early in summer, although reproductive efforts have been noted to vary considerably with environmental conditions.[5] The Pale-rumped Ctenotus has a relatively short lifespan of approximately 3 years, in contrast to other Ctenotus species such as C. leonhardii with specimens recorded as living for as long as 7 years.[5]

Ctentotus regius is largely an unspecialised insectivore, although it may occasionally consume plant material.[5]

Ctenotus regius is listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List.[1] However, many pressures impact desert reptile populations within Australia, including habitat loss from land clearing, habitat degradation and modification as a result of introduced pest species and anthropogenic climate change, vehicle collisions and emerging diseases.[4]