Nangur spiny skink

Common name: Nangur spiny skink, Nangur skink
Species name: Nangura spinosa
Family: Scincidae
Status: Critically endangered

The Nangur spiny skink grows to about 19cm with a snout to vent length of about 9.5cm. Adults can weigh 18-37g with new-born skinks weighing less than 1.5g. It has spiny scales along its back, tail and flanks. The skink is brown with dark irregular bands (sometimes quite faded) on its back. The belly is cream with the scales around its mouth barred with cream and brown.

The Nangur spiny skink was first discovered by western science in 1992 in Nangur National Park in South East Queensland. A second distinct population was found approximately 40km to the west in Oakview National Park in 1997. At the time, there was significant excitement that a skink so morphologically distinct had remained undiscovered for so long in South East Queensland.

Genetic analysis indicates these populations became isolated from each several hundred thousand years ago. The skink is only found in South East Queensland and extensive surveys in over 30 locations have failed to find other populations.

Early surveys of the first population estimated there were 140 adults but numbers rapidly declined between 2015 and 2019, falling to less than 50 adults occupying an area of less than 50ha. The second site has around a thousand adult skinks over an area of approximately 850ha. This population is relatively stable with small ongoing declines at the edges of the population.

The skink can mainly be found in semi-evergreen vine thicket and vine forest, often with emergent hoop pine.

Threats and recovery actions

Threats to the Nangur spiny skink include:

• Introduced weeds which damage the habitat, increase the fire risk and change the forest structure and microclimate.
• Introduced predators including feral cats and foxes.
• Feral pigs and deer who modify and destroy the habitat.
• Cane toads who block burrows, compete with skinks for food and potentially prey on young animals.
• Climate change impacts such as higher temperatures and reduced rainfall impact habitat quality and feeding resources. It also increases the risk of uncontrolled wildfires and extreme rainfall events washing skinks away.
• Illegal collection and/or disturbance of burrow sites.

Recovery actions include:

• surveys to determine the population size and trajectory
• threat abatement programs including weed and feral animal control
• developing and implementing fire management plans
• a captive breeding and reintroduction program.

Captive breeding

With the ongoing decline of the smaller population, captive breeding was identified as a priority recovery action.

In late January 2020, 14 adults and one juvenile were collected from the second larger population for a pilot captive breeding program. Within a couple of weeks, three animals known to be pregnant each gave birth to twins: the first Nangur spiny skinks to be born in captivity.

In January 2021, two sets of triplets and one set of twins were born: the first Nangur spiny skinks conceived and born in captivity. More than 30 skinks have now been born in captivity.

In 2023, 20 skinks from the captive program were released into the wild west of Gympie. Release sites were set up with artificial burrows, cameras for monitoring and barriers to protect the skinks from potential predators. Very high survival rates were recorded along with breeding.

The Queensland Government partnered with the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species (FAME) in 2023 who are financially supporting the delivery of the captive breeding program and establishing another population.

For more information about the Nangur spiny skink, view the species profile.

Learn more about how you can help the Nangur spiny skink and other Australian wildlife by supporting threatened species projects and caring for our native plants and animals.