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Water skinks
Eulamprus - Fitzinger, 1843

Pronunciation: you-LAM-pruss
 Etymology: 'good-beautiful'1

Taxonomic notes:

Some members of this genus were previously placed in Sphenomorphus.

Notes:
Statistics: Reproductive modes:
Live-bearing - 15 out of 15 Australian species

Size range:
Smallest Australian species: Bartle Frere barsided skink (Eulamprus frerei) at 6.5 cm
 Longest Australian species: lemon-barred forest-skink (Eulamprus amplus) at 11.5 cm
Number of Australian species: 15
 

lemon-barred forest-skink (Eulamprus amplus)
Eungella National Park, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
lemon-barred forest-skink (Eulamprus amplus) distribution range map Eulamprus amplus
Lemon-barred forest-skink
Year described
(Covacevich & McDonald 1980)
Description

northern barsided skink (Eulamprus brachysoma)
Whitsunday Island, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
northern barsided skink (Eulamprus brachysoma) distribution range map Eulamprus brachysoma
Northern barsided skink
Year described
(Lönnberg & Andersson 1915)
Description
Upper secondary temporal overlaps lower; transversely enlarged nuchal scales 2-10, mode 6; subdigital lamellae (fourth toe) 17-23; nuchal area without dark midline streak; midbody scale rows 28-32.2

Bartle Frere barsided skink (Eulamprus frerei)
Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland
Photo © Anders Zimny
Bartle Frere barsided skink (Eulamprus frerei) distribution range map Eulamprus frerei
Bartle Frere barsided skink
Year described
Greer 1992
Description
Lower secondary temporal overlaps the upper. 69-74 paravertebral scales.2 Dorsal pattern is a uniform brown with contrasting finger-like crossbands from the dark brown to black dorsolateral stripe broken into mid-dorsal bands or spots; other species in the E. tenuis complex have a grey to light brown dorsal colouration, with a series of darker bands along the paravertebral area or a more general dark mottling.2 E. frerei also seems to differ from other members of the E. tenuis complex in having the subdigital lamellae only lightly pigmented instead of heavily pigmented.2

yellow-bellied water-skink (Eulamprus heatwolei)
Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Photo © David Fischer
yellow-bellied water-skink (Eulamprus heatwolei) distribution range map Eulamprus heatwolei
Yellow-bellied water-skink
Year described
Wells & Wellington 1984
Description

alpine water skink (Eulamprus kosciuskoi)
Ebor, New South Wales
Photo © Mark Sanders
alpine water skink (Eulamprus kosciuskoi) distribution range map Eulamprus kosciuskoi
Alpine water skink
Year described
(Kinghorn 1932)
Description

Blue Mountains water-skink (Eulamprus leuraensis)
Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Photo © David Fischer
Blue Mountains water-skink (Eulamprus leuraensis) distribution range map Eulamprus leuraensis
Blue Mountains water-skink
Year described
Wells & Wellington 1984
Description

orange-speckled forest-skink (Eulamprus luteilateralis)
Eungella National Park, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
orange-speckled forest-skink (Eulamprus luteilateralis) distribution range map Eulamprus luteilateralis
Orange-speckled forest-skink
Year described
(Covacevich & McDonald 1980)
Description

dark bar-sided skink (Eulamprus martini)
Girraween National Park, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
dark bar-sided skink (Eulamprus martini) distribution range map Eulamprus martini
Dark bar-sided skink
Year described
Wells & Wellington 1985
Description
Lower secondary temporal overlaps the upper; paravertebral scales 55-64; nuchal area without dark midline streak.2

Murray's skink (Eulamprus murrayi)
Lamington Plateau, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
Murray's skink (Eulamprus murrayi) distribution range map Eulamprus murrayi
Murray's skink
Year described
(Boulenger 1887)
Description

eastern water-skink (Eulamprus quoyii)
Eungella National Park, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
eastern water-skink (Eulamprus quoyii) distribution range map Eulamprus quoyii
Eastern water-skink
Year described
(Duméril & Bibron 1839)
Description

stout barsided skink (Eulamprus sokosoma)
Orpheus Island, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
stout barsided skink (Eulamprus sokosoma) distribution range map Eulamprus sokosoma
Stout barsided skink
Year described
Greer 1992
Description
Upper secondary temporal overlaps lower; transversely enlarged nuchal scales total 2-8, mode 4; subdigital lamellae (fourth toe) 19-23; nuchal area without dark midline streak; midbody scale rows 32-38.2

bar-sided forest-skink (Eulamprus tenuis)
Finch Hatton Gorge, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
bar-sided forest-skink (Eulamprus tenuis) distribution range map Eulamprus tenuis
Bar-sided forest-skink
Year described
(Gray 1831)
Description
Upper secondary temporal overlaps lower; transversely enlarged nuchals 0-4, mode 2; subdigital lamellae fourth toe 22-27; nuchal area often with dark midline streak.2

yellow-blotched forest-skink (Eulamprus tigrinus)
Millaa Milla Falls, Queensland
Photo © Stewart Macdonald
yellow-blotched forest-skink (Eulamprus tigrinus) distribution range map Eulamprus tigrinus
Yellow-blotched forest-skink
Year described
(De Vis 1888)
Description

Tryon's skink (Eulamprus tryoni)
Lamington National Park, Queensland
Photo © David Fischer
Tryon's skink (Eulamprus tryoni) distribution range map Eulamprus tryoni
Tryon's skink
Year described
(Longman 1918)
Description

southern water-skink (Eulamprus tympanum)
Lake Mountain, Victoria
Photo © David Fischer
southern water-skink (Eulamprus tympanum) distribution range map Eulamprus tympanum
Southern water-skink
Year described
(Lönnberg & Andersson 1913)
Description

References
  1. Ehmann, Harald (1992). Encyclopedia of Australian animals: Reptiles. Angus and Robertson. 495 pp - search web for this book
  2. Greer, A.E. (1992). Revision of the species previously associated with the Australian scincid lizard Eulamprus tenuis. Records of the Australian Museum, 44(1):7-19.
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