Nature Notes - Narrow-banded Sand Swimmer

Features

The Narrow-banded Sand Swimmer (Eremiascincus fasciolatus) is very variable in colour. They range from cream to pink, yellow to orange, and some are dark brown. These very attractive skinks have distinctive narrow, dark banding on the body and tail. Sand Swimmers are nocturnal skinks, but if glimpsed during the day, their very glossy scales almost give them a wet and shiny look.

Adaptations

Their pointy snouts help them burrow and “swim” through the sand in a snake-like fashion a few centimetres below the surface, often leaving a tell-tale wave pattern on the sand. Their scales are glossy and perfectly smooth to further enhance the movement and restrict any friction on the surrounding substrate.

Depending on the colour of the soil in their habitat, Sand Swimmers appear to have adapted to “match” the soil colour (and their banded patterns are also of different intensity in different habitats) possibly to help them camouflage more easily in their environment.

Habitat

Sand Swimmers can be found burrowing through the spinifex sand plains and in shrubland and desert woodland habitats. They can also be found in sandy creek beds, but are most commonly found on sand country.

Range

Found across Australia in the arid and semi-arid areas of all states except Victoria.

Wild Status

Common in sand country but uncommon in other habitats.

Diet

Sand Swimmers are voracious hunters of invertebrates and of other lizards, particularly lizards in the Lerista genus. They catch their prey by unexpectedly bursting up from below the sand and pouncing on their prey.

Predators

To avoid predators, Sand Swimmers rapidly dive and burrow into loose sand. They would be prey to nocturnal aerial predators like owls, and also to reptile-eating snakes including Woma Pythons (Aspidites ramsayi) and venomous snakes such as Mulga Snakes (Pseudechis australis) and Western Brown snakes (Pseudonaja nuchalis).

Home

Sand Swimmers often use the burrows of other animals in which to shelter and reproduce, they have even be found using the loose sand in the burrows of large predatory Goannas (monitor lizards) – which could be dangerous if they were seen by their neighbour!  They can also be found under leaf litter or in loose sand under vegetation.

Life Span

Sand Swimmers can live for over ten years.

Size

Sand Swimmers can grow up to 25cm in total length.

Reproduction

Sand Swimmers are egg laying (3-9 eggs per clutch), and can have multiple clutches through the breeding season (Oct-Mar). In captivity, females have been recorded producing over 30 eggs in one season.

Extra Fun Facts

The first part of the scientific name (the genus) of the Sand Swimmer is Eremiascincus, and means desert dwelling (eremius) skink (scincus).