Eastern Water Skink

Eulamprus quoyii is a large water skink that can grow to approximately 115mm in snout-vent length (SVL). They have sharply defined, narrow, pale-yellow dorsolateral stripes that start from above the eye and extend down the body but lack the typical black vertebral stripe of other species in the genus. Its body is medium-sized and has a long slender tail. It has a blackish upper lateral zone with pale spots and its head and snout are moderately acute. Each of its two front limbs have five fingers while the two back limbs have five toes. Its ventral area is cream in colour with some randomly scattered darker spots that differ between individuals. Its throat is white with darker black patches. There is minor sexual dimorphism within the species resulting in the females having a slightly longer snout-vent length and the males to have proportionately longer limbs and heads. The difference in SVL between females and males is not statistically significant. There is a significant difference in shape between sexes of both adult and neonate E. quoyii. In adult male water skinks the distance between the forelimbs and hindlimbs, or the trunk length, are typically shorter than females. Males are known to have longer limbs, wider heads and a greater mass than females of the species. In male E. …

The Eastern Water Skink can be found in creekside habitats, estuaries or near small to medium-sized bodies of water as well as in moist urban garden areas along Australia's East Coast cities. Outside of the urban environment, E. quoyii population densities are highest in open, rocky creek areas compared to creek or water areas with thick vegetation or cool forest conditions. Areas with rocky outcroppings and high availability of sunlight have a direct correlation with the abundance of E. quoyii populations. E. quoyii habitat selection is not chosen through abundance or lack of outcroppings and vegetation, but is selected through substrate temperature and necessary thermoregulation factors for the species.

When Eulamprus quoyii breed, male and females of the species mate in Spring and will give birth to up to nine babies per clutch in the Summer. Unlike many other reptile species, the Eastern Water Skink is a viviparous species and will give birth to live young following their long gestation periods. Due to the length of these gestation periods, it is common for female E. quoyii individuals to mate only once a year. Male individuals differ from the females in that they can be classified into two categories: Territorial/Resident males and Floater Males. Resident males are suspected to be more active over a longer period, producing clutches with a higher yield of offspring. Floater males are predicted to have larger home ranges and move greater distances while active, leading to fewer clutches and offspring per year. Sexual selection in the E. quoyii species is not believed to have a direct correlation to performance and fitness traits such as bite force or speed as it does in other lizard species. Previous research has shown that there does seem to be a correlation between SVL and sexual selection in E. quoyii, however, due to the adoption of alternate reproductive tactics (ART) in the species, there is the chance that specific performance traits are correlated with other unmeasured behavioural, morphological or physiological traits.

The genus name Eulamprus is derived from the Latin meaning "good-beautiful". The specific name, quoyii, is in honor of French zoologist Jean René Constant Quoy.