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Alexander Dudley | all galleries >> Aussie reptiles >> Aussie Lizards >> Skinks, Superfamily Scincidae >> Sphenomorphid skinks > Black-tailed legless skink, Anomalopus swansoni
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15-SEP-2004 Alexander Dudley

Black-tailed legless skink, Anomalopus swansoni

Yengo National Park, NSW Australia

Getting legless is normally associated with the consumption of vast quantities of alcohol (although in my case, small quanities
would be enough), but from an evolutionary perspective, it is an unusual step to take (no pun intended). Leglessness (or limb
reduction) has evolved in a number of lizard groups, and is usually prevalent amongst those species which spend their lives looking
for small morsels of life under leaf-litter or sand, where moving limbs is more of a hindrance than a help. Of course, to get through
such environments one must learn how to wriggle, and this Anomalopus swansoni is an excellent wriggler. This specimen was
found by a volunteer on a fauna survey, George Madani, who showed up my 35 years of herpetological experience by finding four
of these to my one over a five day period.

FujiFilm FinePix S2 Pro ,Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro
1/125s f/22.0 at 59.0mm iso100, Metz 20 BC6, Starblitz 160-slave full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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