New research by the Territory and South Australian Museums has uncovered a number of new species of snake-eyed skinks.
Skinks are often found on tree trunks, fences and walls in suburban gardens and parks and look like lizards with short legs.
Dr Paul Horner, from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, says many of the 13 new species discovered are unique to the Territory and only live in specialised areas.
"One of the gaudy ones, which I've called the spangled snake-eyed skink, is only known from Mount Borradaile in Arnhem Land, just north of Oenpelli.
"There's also another one which is only known from some offshore islands off (the) Cobourg (Peninsula) from the New Year Island, Oxley Islands and North Goulbourn Island."
Dr Horner says the small reptiles are an important part of the eco-system.
"Sometimes you can got to a tree and you might see half a dozen or even up to 30 animals up there. So extrapolating up from that you can imagine they are a very important food resource for lots of birds and other reptiles and all sorts of things would be feeding on them.
"Because they are insectivorous, they are eating an awful lot of insects themselves."
This is one of them.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/30/2150081.htm
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