THE REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - SKINKS

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION
Covering Australian Snakes and Lizards, Crocodiles and Turtles

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COLUBRID SNAKES - Colubridae Homalopsidae Mud Snakes

PYTHON SNAKES - Pythonidae

ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits

FILE SNAKES - Acrochordidae

BLIND SNAKES - Worm Snakes - Typhlopidae Ramphotyphlops

Selection of Australian Frogs

TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines

DRAGON LIZARDS Agamas Agamidae

GECKO LIZARDS Gekkonidae

LEGLESS LIZARDS Pygopodidae Pygopods

MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

Skinks of Australia

CROCODILES Crocodylia Crocodilia Saltwater freshwater estuarine

REPTILES OF THE WORLD SPECIES LISTS


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK
Egernia cunninghami

This species may grow to about 40 cm (16 inches) total length

There are 3 subspecies/races of Cunningham's Skinks, however the status of these subspecies/species is uncertain and rarely used.
I have added these subspecies for reference and completeness.

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(Status uncertain)

DISTRIBUTION

Cunningham's Skink

Egernia cunninghami

NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic

Fleurieu Peninsula Cunningham's Skink
(Status uncertain)

Egernia cunninghami
(also known as Egernia barnetti) (Status uncertain)

Fleurieu Peninsula South Australia

Granite Belt Cunningham's Skink
(Status uncertain)

Egernia cunninghami
(also known as Egernia jossae) (Status uncertain)

Granite Belt (Eastern Australia)

Sydney Cunningham's Skink
(Status uncertain)

Egernia cunninghami krefftii or Egernia krefftii, (Status uncertain)

NSW (Sydney region)

CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK
(Egernia cunninghami)

Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami), photographed at the Gorge Wildlife Park, South Australia
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami), photographed at the Gorge Wildlife Park, South Australia


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami Reptiles of Australia map
Approximate distribution of Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami) in the blue area except for the Sydney area, but including the population found on Fleurieu Peninsula, SA
Note that the Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) is found in the Sydney Region, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami), photographed at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve , ACT

 

Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami cunninghami
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami) , photographed at Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami), photographed at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve , ACT


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Notice the forked tail tip (caused by the tail being damaged in the past) on this Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami), photographed at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve , ACT


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami) photographed at Symbio Wildlife Park, NSW

The Cunninghams Skink (Egernia cunninghami) is a common species usually found in rocky areas.
Pattern varies from area to area and it often lives in family groups or colonies.
Although often kept and easily bred in captivity they tend to be timid so are not so east to handle.
They give birth to approximately 3 -7 live babies which may live in the same rock crevice till quite large.

Like bluetongues they may drop their tail if you try and pull them out of a crevice by the tail. The tail regrows very slowly and looks different to the original tail.

Those in Victoria tend to have less patterning than most pictured above.

They tend to be more timid than bluetongues and are not so common in peoples gardens.
They eat a variety of food like insects and vegetable matter including "weeds and grass" which means they don’t have to venture far from their crevices to find food.


Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami) photographed at Drip Gorge, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami) photographed at Symbio Wildlife Park, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami Reptiles of Australia
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami) above is from the New England Tablelands, NSW

CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami Reptiles of Australia
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami) above is from the New England Tablelands, Armidale, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami) at Symbio Wildlife Park, NSW


. CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami Reptiles of Australia
The Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami) above is from the New England Tablelands, Armidale, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami) photographed at Symbio Wildlife Park, NSW



Juvenile Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami)

On Castle Rock
"On Castle Rock" by Michael Jefferies is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0


Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami) photographed at Merri Creek, near Melbourne, Victoria) NSW
Cunningham's Skinks (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami) photographed at Merri Creek, near Melbourne, Victoria, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami Reptiles of Australia
This specimen of (Egernia cunninghami cunninghami) is from Toowoomba, QLD.

SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK
(Egernia cunninghami krefftii)
Found in the Sydney Region, NSW

Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
This Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW is missing the tip of its tail!


Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW

Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Notice the variance in pattern on the Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW

Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW


Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW


Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW

Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW

Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW


Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Barrenjoey Head, NSW



This Large Blotched Bluetongue Tiliqua nigrolutea was photographed near the Three Sisters, NSW in a group of 3 Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) (only 2 are in the photo above). The 3 Cunningham skinks are pictured below:-
Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at The Three Sisters, NSW

Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at The Three Sisters, NSW

Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at The Three Sisters, NSW


Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at The Three Sisters, NSW


Sydney Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami krefftii
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Anvil Rock, Blue Mountains, NSW


CUNNINGHAM'S SKINK Egernia cunninghami
Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii) photographed at Royal National Park, near Sydney, NSW - note the patterning on the sides of its neck!

Cunningham's Skink Egernia cunninghami
This Sydney Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami krefftii)? was photographed at the Canberra Reptile Zoo


LINKS OF INTEREST

Egernia cunninghami (GRAY, 1832)
The Reptile Database

Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami)
iNaturalist

More Information about Australian Skinks
 Australianherpetology.com

More Information about Australian Reptiles
Australianherpetology.com

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OTHER LINKS

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SKINKS OF THE WORLD

Skinks of Australia

LIZARDS OF AUSTRALIA

 Lizards of the World

Skinks
of The World

Skinks
of
Australia

Lizards
of
Australia

Lizards
of The World



AUSTRALIAN SKINK SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Skinks of Australia

Skinks of NSW

Skinks of Queensland

SKINKS OF NORTHERN TERRITORY- SPECIES LIST

SKINKS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA- SPECIES LIST

Skinks of Victoria

ACT SKINK LIZARDS Scincidae

Skinks of Tasmania

Skinks
of South
Australia

Skinks
of
NSW

Skinks
of
Qld

Skinks
of
NT

Skinks
of
WA

Skinks
of
Victoria

Skinks
of
ACT

Skinks
of
Tasmania

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
 REPTILES OF NSW REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY REPTILES OF Western Australia Reptiles of the ACT(Canberra)

Reptiles of South Australia

Reptiles
of
Victoria

Reptiles
of
NSW

Reptiles
of
Qld

Reptiles
of
NT

Reptiles
of
WA

Reptiles
of the
ACT

Reptiles of Tasmania

MORE REPTILE SPECIES LISTS

Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
of Cocos Keeling Islands

Reptiles of Norfolk Island


Reptiles of Australia

Selection of Australian Frogs

Reptiles of the World

Amphibians of the World

Reptiles
of
Australia

Frogs
of
Australia

Reptiles
of
The World

Amphibians of the
World


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Updated December 4, 2025


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