DWS - Animal Facts - Shingleback

Dreamtime Wildlife Sanctuary
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Shingleback

The Shingleback is in a family of lizards called skinks.

The Shingleback has a number of common names. It is also called a Stumpy tail, Two-headed lizard, Sleepy lizard, Pine cone lizard, or a Bobtail lizard. The Shingleback is found through out inland Australia, where it enjoys the dry humid conditions.

Shingleback skin in very thick compared to other lizards. This protects the animals from the stony landscape that they wander over, and the many spiky plants that they hide in. The thick skin aids in water retention, an important adaptation when living in the desert.

The ears of the Shingleback are protected from sand and grass seeds through being set behind a thick layer of skin.

Fast Facts

Name:

Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa)

Type:

Skink - lizard

Size:

Up to 40 cm total length

Distribution:

Inland Australia

Habitat:

Deserts

Food:

Slow-moving insects and vegetation

Because of short legs and heavy bodies, the Shingleback is not found up trees. They are ground dwelling animals that hunt and feed during the day. Their stumpy legs also mean that they're very slow moving. Because they can't run very quickly, Shinglebacks tend to eat a lot of plant material. Shinglebacks may be slow, but even they can outrun a plant!

The Shingleback has a tail, that to other animals looks a lot like its head. When a Shingleback is being attacked, it will wave its tail around to try to distract the predator. If the predator ends up biting the Shingleback's tail off, it will slowly grow back (regenerate).

The Shingleback has just one or two live babies; it does not lay eggs. When the babies are born they wander off and look after themselves. Shingleback babies are very big when they are born, usually about 1/3 the size of their mother.

Shinglebacks are not found around Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, or Toowoomba. They do not live in humid environments in the wild, and they are usually found West of The Great Dividing Range.

Meet Caramel!
These are pictures of Caramel, one of our Shinglebacks. Click on the thumbnail to view a larger picture.