Eastern water skink fact sheet – bunburra | Field of Mars EEC

What are eastern water skinks?

Eastern water skinks are a common native lizard found along the east coast of Australia. Their scientific name is Eulamprus quoyii. They are often seen basking on rocks and logs near creeks, ponds and wetlands, and they can dive into the water to escape danger.

The Darug name for eastern water skink is  bunburra.

Eastern water skink

What do eastern water skinks look like?

Eastern water skinks have smooth, shiny scales and a long tail. Their body colour can look olive-brown, coppery or golden-brown, often with small black flecks or spots. Many have a pale stripe that starts near the eye and runs along the side of the body. These colours help them camouflage among rocks, leaf litter and creek edges.

The pale stripe and glossy scales help eastern water skinks blend into their habitat.

Where do eastern water skinks live?

Eastern water skinks live from northern Queensland down into south-east New South Wales, and also occur inland through the Murray–Darling Basin. They are strongly linked to water and are commonly found in bushland environments such as the Field of Mars Reserve close to streams, ponds and wetlands, usually with rocks and logs nearby for basking and shelter. They also live in urban gardens and backyards if there is water, food and safe shelter.

Wetlands are important because they provide food such as aquatic insects and tadpoles and cover from predators. Water skinks may use wetlands at certain times, and often move between wet areas and nearby drier land.

Eastern water skinks will use tree hollows to provide protection from predators.

What do eastern water skinks eat?

Eastern water skinks are mostly carnivores. They feed on invertebrates and other small animals including spiders, snails, tadpoles and small fish. They may also eat smaller lizards and cockroaches and sometimes native fruit.

By feeding on insects and other small animals, eastern water skinks play an important role in local food webs.

Eastern water skinks will hunt for small animals on the forest floor.

How do eastern water skinks reproduce and what is their life cycle?

Eastern water skinks are ovoviviparous, this means they give birth to live young. A female often produces two or three young in a litter. The young are independent soon after birth and begin hunting small insects and other tiny prey near shelter and water.

What adaptations do eastern water skinks have to their environment?

Eastern water skinks have several adaptations that help them survive near water and in bushland habitats. Their brown, olive and black flecks help them hide among rocks, bark and leaf litter. As reptiles, they bask in the sun to warm up so they can become active and fast. They can swim and dive into water to escape predators. They can also drop part of their tail to distract a predator and escape. In colder months they may brumate, resting for long periods to save energy.

Eastern water skinks are endothermic. This means they need to use the sun to warm up.

What threats do eastern water skinks face and how can we help them?

Eastern water skinks can be affected by habitat loss and changes to creek edges, such as removing rocks, logs and leaf litter. They are also prey for birds, larger lizards and snakes, and can be harmed by introduced predators and some garden chemicals.

You can help eastern water skinks by leaving leaf litter, mulch, rocks and fallen branches in garden or bushland edges, avoiding pesticides and rodent poisons that can move through food chains, keeping cats indoors and supervising dogs near bushland and waterways, and helping keep creeks and wetlands clean by reducing litter and pollution.

Related fact sheets

More reptile fact sheets

• Reptiles – overview
• Eastern water dragon
• Red-bellied black snake - predator

Habitats used by eastern water skinks

• Leaf litter habitats
• Ground cover habitats
• Rock and log habitats
• Water habitats

Environments where they might be found

• Eucalypt forest
• Field of Mars Reserve
• Mangrove forest

Animals linked through food webs

• Long-nosed bandicoot - shares leaf-litter habitat
• Bush cockroach - prey
• Earwig - prey
• Kookaburra - predator

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