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Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa)

The Shingleback is a large, slow-moving skink of open, dry country with tussocky ground cover, leaf litter, rocks and logs. On development sites, adults and newly dispersed young may be concealed at ground level, while pairs can cross roads during the breeding season, making pre-clearing searches, careful handling and vehicle controls important.

Conservation status

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Shinglebacks reunite and mate mainly from September to November. Females carry embryos through summer and give birth from December to April, while adults and young use ground shelters throughout the year. Avoid clearing during the breeding and birth period, and inspect shelter features during winter inactivity.

Reproductive mode: Live-bearing, or viviparous.

Litter size: Usually two or three young, with a reported range of one to four.

Gestation: About three to five months. Some sources report approximately five months.

Size at birth: Up to 220 mm total length and up to 200 g.

Age at maturity: About 3 to 5 years.

Nest or egg sites: No nest or egg site is recorded. Births occur after development in the female's oviduct. Adults and young shelter among leaf litter, under rocks and logs, and in other ground refuges.

Breeding frequency: Usually annual, with pairs often reuniting with the same partner over several years. Pairs have been recorded together for up to 20 years.

Confirm timing locally before clearing, because rainfall, temperature and the timing of winter warming can shift activity, mating and birth dates across Australia's broad range.

  • Mating: Pairs reunite from September to November. Mating is commonly recorded in late October and early November, with males following females and sometimes competing with rivals.
  • Gravid females: Females carry embryos after mating, with gestation lasting three to five months and births occurring from December to April. The exact duration varies between local populations, and the supplied records do not define a single peak month for gravid females.
  • Births: Births are recorded from December to April. Late March and early April are reported in one source, while February births are documented for the Rottnest Island subspecies, so timing varies across Australia.
  • Newborns: Newborns are present from December to April and disperse within a few days according to the supplied species account. They are born fully formed, can be up to 220 mm long and weigh up to 200 g.
  • Active period: Adults are generally surface active from late winter or spring through autumn, with activity adjusted to temperature. Activity peaks in spring, and September and October have the highest reported sighting activity; animals may still bask briefly during warm winter weather.
  • Winter inactivity: Most animals shelter and become inactive during winter, especially June and July. Brumation or very low activity is reported when temperatures fall below about 10 to 12°C, although animals may briefly emerge to bask on sunny days.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from September to April because adults reunite and mate from September to November, followed by births and newly independent young from December to April. Winter clearing can also kill animals concealed in leaf litter, logs, rocks, burrows and other ground shelters.

Identification

The Shingleback is the bulkiest of the blue-tongue lizards. It is a stocky, slow-moving skink with a very large head, short blunt tail and large rough scales.

Adults have a dark brown body, sometimes with yellow spots, and a pale belly with darker variegation. The eye is small and may be reddish-brown to grey. The tongue is broad and dark blue, and the mouth lining is bright pink.

When threatened, the lizard turns towards the observer, opens its mouth and displays its blue tongue. It may hiss, flatten its body and bite if handled.

Total length: Up to 410 mm

Head and body: Up to 340 mm

Adult weight: Not given in the supplied documents

Identification: Separating it from similar skinks

The combination of a very bulky body, large head, very short blunt tail and large rough scales distinguishes the Shingleback from the more typically proportioned blue-tongue lizards. The dark blue tongue and bright pink mouth lining are useful confirmation features.

Other Tiliqua species occur in Australia, including the Centralian Blue-tongue Lizard, Blotched Blue-tongue Lizard and Western Blue-tongue Lizard. Identification should consider locality as well as colour and pattern because the supplied documents do not provide a full comparison of those species.

Identification: Sex and field signs

Males generally have a proportionally larger head and stockier body. Females grow slightly larger than males.

The supplied documents do not describe diagnostic tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs or eyeshine. A live animal, or a body with the characteristic short blunt tail and blue tongue, is the most reliable field identification.

Distribution: National range

The Shingleback occurs across much of southern and inland Australia, particularly in dry and semi-arid areas. The supplied documents provide broad regional information rather than a complete state by state or bioregional range map.

The species occurs through the southern half of Australia, except for eastern and south-eastern coastal areas. It is also recorded through semi-arid inland Australia and along coastal parts of Western Australia and South Australia.

In New South Wales, it is common on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range and occurs on the plains west of the range. It does not occur naturally in Sydney.

  • Use the project locality and current Atlas of Living Australia records to confirm the expected local population and any range limits.

Distribution: Strongholds and population status

The supplied documents identify low-rainfall plains west of the Great Dividing Range, semi-arid inland habitats and parts of coastal Western Australia and South Australia as important parts of the species' distribution.

No national population estimate, local abundance estimate, subpopulation structure or population trend is provided. The species is not listed under the EPBC Act and is listed as Vulnerable in Western Australia.

National population size: Not given in the supplied documents

Population trend: Not given in the supplied documents

EPBC Act: Not listed

Western Australia: Vulnerable

Habitat: Habitat types

Shinglebacks use open, dry country with abundant cover at ground level. They occur in coastal heaths, dry sclerophyll forests, mallee scrub, spinifex-dominated sandy deserts, semi-arid inland areas and open country west of the Great Dividing Range.

Suitable habitat includes coastal heath, dry sclerophyll forest, mallee scrub and spinifex-dominated sandy desert. The species also occurs on low-rainfall plains and in semi-arid inland habitats.

In New South Wales, the species is associated with areas west of the Great Dividing Range and is not naturally present in Sydney.

Habitat: Ground structure

The most consistently described habitat feature is open ground with plentiful cover, particularly tussocky grasses or leaf litter. Rocks, logs and other large objects on the ground provide additional shelter.

Retain connected patches of ground cover, leaf litter, logs and rocks during site planning and clearing. These features may conceal animals that are not visible during a general walkover.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The species is associated with low-rainfall, dry and semi-arid conditions, although it also occurs in coastal parts of Western Australia and South Australia.

No elevation limits are given. During cold weather, Shinglebacks remain inactive and buried deep in shelter sites, but may emerge to bask on sunny days.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Shinglebacks forage during the warmer parts of the day after emerging to bask. They are slow moving and take a broad mixture of plant material and relatively slow-moving animal prey.

Plant food forms a larger part of the diet than it does for other blue-tongue lizards. Recorded food items include fruit, flowers, berries, vegetables and other plant material, as well as insects and snails.

The species has large teeth and strong jaw muscles that allow it to crush snail shells and beetles.

Plant foods: Fruit, flowers, berries and other plant material

Animal foods: Snails, beetles and other insects

Foraging habitat: Foraging conditions

Animals emerge from leaf litter or beneath rocks, logs and other ground objects in the morning, bask in sunny areas and forage during warmer parts of the day.

Maintain ground cover and litter across retained habitat so that foraging areas remain close to shelter. The supplied documents do not give a foraging distance, home range or population density.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Shinglebacks are solitary for most of the year and reunite as monogamous pairs in spring. Breeding habitat needs nearby ground cover and shelter because the young are born fully developed and disperse within a few days.

The species is live-bearing. Embryos develop in the female's oviduct with placental support. Newborn young eat the placental membranes, shed their skin within a few days and can look after themselves immediately after birth.

The same male and female may reunite in the mating season over several years. Pairs may be seen crossing roads, with the male following the female.

Mating period: September to November

Birth period: December to April

Litter size: Usually two or three young; reported range one to four

Gestation: Three to five months after mating

Newborn size: Up to 220 mm total length

Newborn weight: Up to 200 g

Age at maturity and lifespan: Not given in the supplied documents

Breeding habitat: Breeding site features

The documents do not identify a specialised nest or burrow for breeding. Retained leaf litter, tussocky grass, rocks, logs and other ground objects are the relevant shelter features described for the species.

Avoid disturbing likely shelter sites during the September to April breeding and birth period, particularly where adults are paired or small young are present.

Sheltering habitat: Day and night refuges

Shinglebacks shelter at ground level rather than in trees. Their refuges can be concealed within leaf litter or beneath large objects, so animals may be missed unless these features are checked carefully.

At night, Shinglebacks shelter among leaf litter or under large objects on the ground, including rocks and logs. During cold weather they remain inactive and buried deep in shelter sites.

No refuge dimensions, burrow depths, hollow requirements or den densities are given in the supplied documents.

  • Inspect leaf litter, rocks, logs and other large ground objects before disturbance.
  • Keep suitable shelter features in place where they can be retained safely within the site.

Sheltering habitat: Basking and exposure

After emerging in the morning, animals bask in sunny areas before foraging during the warmer part of the day. Active animals maintain a body temperature of about 30°C to 35°C.

On cold days, an apparently empty site may still contain inactive animals buried within shelter sites.

Threats: Clearing and construction

The supplied documents identify predation and vehicle mortality as direct risks. Clearing and fragmentation can remove the ground cover and shelter features on which Shinglebacks depend, while the documents do not provide species-specific evidence about fire or hydrology change.

Clearing can remove tussocky grasses, leaf litter, rocks, logs and other ground objects used for shelter and foraging. Animals may remain concealed in these features during earthworks, particularly in cold weather when they are inactive.

Fragmenting open habitat can reduce the continuity of ground cover and increase exposure to roads, machinery and predators. This is a site management inference from the habitat and behaviour described in the supplied documents.

  • Search and hand-clear suitable ground refuges before machinery enters.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher for animals found during clearing and keep retained shelter features outside the disturbance footprint.

Threats: Roads and vehicle movement

Pairs are often seen crossing roads in western New South Wales during the mating season, with the male following the female. Vehicle movement therefore presents a particular risk from September to November.

Young disperse within a few days of birth and may also be exposed to vehicles and machinery at ground level.

  • Apply low-speed controls and fauna awareness measures near known or potential habitat, especially from September to April.
  • Stop work and arrange safe capture if a Shingleback is found within an active work area or on a haul route.

Threats: Predators and parasites

Predators include large birds such as Brown Falcons and Laughing Kookaburras, large snakes including Eastern Brown Snakes, Red-bellied Black Snakes and Mulga Snakes, and feral cats and dogs.

Young animals are especially vulnerable to suburban dogs and cats and predatory birds. Reptile ticks commonly attach beneath scales and in the ear canal, and nematode worms can parasitise large skinks.

Threats: Fire and hydrology

The supplied documents do not describe species-specific effects of fire, altered drainage, flooding or groundwater change. Assess these risks through the local vegetation, ground-cover and shelter features present at the project site.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and daytime searches

Shinglebacks are terrestrial skinks that shelter under leaf litter, rocks, logs and other ground objects, then bask and forage in warm conditions. Survey effort should focus on open areas with tussocky grass, leaf litter and other ground cover, and should follow the relevant state survey guideline where one applies.

Map open country with tussocky grasses, leaf litter, rocks, logs and other large objects on the ground before selecting survey locations.

Search during warm parts of the day, including sunny periods when shinglebacks emerge to bask and forage.

Inspect shelter sites carefully for animals, tracks, scat, sloughed skin and other signs, and replace moved cover immediately after inspection.

Record the search area, start and finish times, weather, ground temperature if measured, habitat features searched and all observations.

Active body temperature: About 30°C to 35°C

Adult size: Up to 410 mm total length, including about 340 mm head and body

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted shelter and basking searches

Search the edges of leaf litter, tussocky grass, logs, rocks and other ground objects where shinglebacks may shelter at night or bask nearby in the morning.

Use a controlled active-search method that limits disturbance and avoids trapping animals under lifted rocks, logs or other cover.

Schedule repeat searches across suitable warm conditions when the project risk and state guidance require greater confidence in detection, because shinglebacks can remain buried in shelter during cold weather.

  • Inspect retained habitat systematically rather than relying only on incidental observations.
  • Do not assume that an apparently empty shelter feature is unused until it has been checked by an authorised person.

Survey methodology: 3. Seasonal and weather timing

Plan the main survey period around warm weather and sunny conditions, when shinglebacks are most likely to leave shelter and be detectable.

Give additional attention to September to November, when adults reunite as pairs and may be seen moving together or crossing roads.

Consider December to April when planning disturbance, because females give birth during this period and young disperse within a few days of birth.

Record cold, wet, overcast or otherwise unsuitable conditions and explain how they affected detection.

Pairing period: September to November

Birth period: December to April

Young: Usually two or three young, up to 220 mm total length

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the applicable state fauna survey guideline and project approval conditions to set the number of survey visits, search hours, transect length or area, and any trapping effort; the supplied species documents do not specify a shingleback-specific minimum effort.
  • Document the method, effort, dates, times, weather, temperatures where measured, personnel, search area, habitat features inspected and detection results.
  • Submit confirmed records and spatial coordinates to the relevant state wildlife database, and provide the records to the project environmental officer and approval authority where required.
  • Report the project determination, limitations caused by weather or access, and any unsearched habitat in the ecological assessment or fauna management plan.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat shingleback habitat as ground-level shelter and foraging habitat, not only as vegetation. Retain connected patches of leaf litter, tussocky grass, logs, rocks and other ground cover wherever the design allows.

Redesign clearing limits to retain open country with tussocky grasses, leaf litter and patches containing logs, rocks or other shelter features.

Maintain connectivity between retained habitat patches so animals can move through suitable ground cover rather than crossing active work areas or roads.

Use site-specific exclusion areas or buffers around retained habitat features, with distances set by the relevant state guideline, approval and risk assessment.

Avoid unnecessary removal of leaf litter and ground objects from areas that will remain available as shingleback habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and timing

Confirm the species status under the applicable state legislation before works start, including whether a wildlife handling, relocation or damage permit is required in Western Australia.

Check whether an EPBC Act referral is required for the project; the supplied information identifies the shingleback as not listed under the EPBC Act.

Schedule clearing outside periods of high activity or breeding risk where practicable, and give particular consideration to September to November pairing and December to April births.

Include the survey findings, avoidance measures, handling arrangements, stop-work triggers and reporting requirements in the fauna management plan.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete a pre-clearance search in suitable warm conditions before machinery enters the work area.

Mark the approved clearing boundary and all habitat to be retained, including logs, rocks, leaf litter patches and tussocky ground cover.

Install and maintain exclusion fencing where it can keep animals out of the work area without cutting off access to retained habitat or creating a trapping hazard.

Brief machinery operators and the fauna spotter catcher on the shingleback identification features, including the large head, short blunt tail, rough scales and blue tongue.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Use a controlled clearing sequence with an authorised fauna spotter catcher present wherever suitable shingleback habitat is being disturbed. Shinglebacks can hide under ground objects and may bite if handled or picked up.

Inspect the work area before clearing each day and confirm that exclusion fencing, marked habitat and access controls remain intact.

Keep the fauna spotter catcher in a position where the operator can stop immediately when an animal or shelter feature is identified.

Clear progressively towards retained habitat where the site layout and approved fauna management plan allow it, while avoiding pushing animals into roads, active work zones or isolated habitat.

Use low-speed, controlled removal of ground cover and shelter features, and do not allow machinery to crush or drag logs, rocks or leaf litter before they have been checked.

  • Stop the machine when the spotter catcher signals, when visibility is lost, or when a suspected animal or occupied shelter is identified.
  • Do not allow workers to chase, corner, tease or handle a shingleback without authorisation and suitable training.

During habitat disturbance: Handling and relocation

Treat every shingleback as capable of biting; an adult bite can break the skin, cause pain and leave a bruise, although the species is not venomous.

Allow only an appropriately authorised and trained person to capture, examine, transport or relocate the animal, in accordance with state permits and the fauna management plan.

Relocate an animal only to nearby suitable retained habitat that is connected to the surrounding habitat and contains ground cover or shelter, unless the permit or wildlife authority directs otherwise.

Keep handling time and transport distance as short as practicable, and prevent exposure to excessive heat, cold or direct sun.

Refer an injured animal to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer, and record the receiving person or facility.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Check logs, rocks, leaf litter, tussocks and other large objects on the ground before removal, and place retained features in nearby approved habitat where practicable.

Lift or move cover in a way that allows an animal to escape into retained habitat, rather than trapping it against machinery or fencing.

Do not create isolated piles of debris that can obstruct movement, conceal unsearched animals or increase exposure to vehicles and predators.

Retain suitable ground cover in worksite exclusion areas and use stored natural materials for rehabilitation where they are free of weeds and contamination.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work, welfare and records

Stop work in the immediate area if a shingleback is found, injured, trapped, repeatedly displaced or unable to move safely to retained habitat.

Stop work if the fauna spotter catcher cannot maintain a safe view of the clearing front or if the approved clearing boundary is breached.

Clean any bite wound with mild disinfectant and seek medical advice under the project incident procedure.

Record the date, time, location, condition, photographs where appropriate, action taken, relocation site, handler, permit details and final outcome for every animal encounter.

Notify the project environmental officer and the relevant wildlife authority of injuries, deaths, unauthorised handling or other reportable incidents.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no animals remain in disturbed areas and that retained habitat continues to function as connected shelter and foraging habitat. Keep fauna controls in place until the work area is stable and safe.

Inspect the cleared footprint and the edges of retained habitat after clearing, focusing on leaf litter, tussocks, logs, rocks and other remaining shelter.

Complete follow-up searches when warm and sunny conditions provide a reasonable opportunity for animals to emerge from shelter.

Check exclusion fencing, access tracks, stockpiled materials and trenches for trapped or displaced shinglebacks until these hazards are removed or made fauna-safe.

Record all detections, carcasses, injuries, relocations, habitat damage and corrective actions.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained habitat and rehabilitation areas using the same search approach and comparable warm-weather conditions used for pre-clearance surveys.

Use observations of basking animals, movement through retained habitat and use of reinstated shelter features as indicators of continued habitat use.

Maintain erosion, weed, predator and access controls that could affect ground cover and animal movement.

Provide completion records to the project environmental officer and submit required fauna records and incident reports to the relevant state wildlife database or authority.

Rehabilitation actions: Reinstate habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore the ground-level structure that shinglebacks use for shelter, basking and foraging. Focus on connected open habitat with natural ground cover rather than creating vegetation that removes sunny, accessible ground.

Retain or replace suitable logs, rocks, leaf litter and tussocky ground cover in connected patches within rehabilitation areas.

Use locally appropriate native plant species and ground-cover mixes selected for the project site and state rehabilitation requirements, rather than introducing non-local or invasive species.

Leave some sunny areas beside shelter features for basking, while retaining enough cover for night shelter and protection from predators.

Do not compact, routinely mow or unnecessarily clear the ground layer in areas intended to provide shingleback habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats

Control weeds so dense or unsuitable weed growth does not replace native tussock, leaf litter and other ground cover.

Manage feral cats and dogs, and limit domestic animal access to rehabilitation areas, because these animals prey on shinglebacks.

Plan fire management with the land manager and relevant authority so burning does not remove all shelter, leaf litter and ground cover from retained habitat at once.

Keep vehicles, stockpiles and routine maintenance out of rehabilitated shelter areas.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor success

Inspect rehabilitation areas at suitable warm times and record shingleback sightings, basking, movement, shelter use and signs of predation or injury.

Compare rehabilitation observations with retained reference habitat using consistent search areas, dates, weather records and effort.

Define success as establishment of connected native ground cover, retained or reinstated shelter features, safe movement between habitat patches and repeated shingleback use over the agreed monitoring period.

Adapt weed control, predator management, fencing, fire planning or habitat placement if monitoring shows that shelter is lost or animals cannot move safely through the site.

Sources