Endangered Alpine Skinks Set for Population Boost with Imminent Births in Victoria
A critically endangered alpine lizard species is poised for a significant population increase following the success of a dedicated captive breeding program in Victoria's Alpine National Park. The Guthega skink, one of Australia's only alpine lizards, faces severe threats from climate change and bushfires, making this conservation milestone particularly crucial.
Captive Breeding Success Story
Eleven endangered Guthega skinks released into a specially designed enclosure in Victoria's Alpine National Park could soon become thirteen, with a female known as Omeo expected to give birth in March. This development marks a significant achievement for Zoos Victoria's captive breeding program, which has worked tirelessly to protect this vulnerable species.
The skinks now reside in a carefully constructed enclosure furnished with granite rocks and hundreds of native plants, including alpine mint bush and snow beard-heath – the skink's favourite food sources. In December, seven additional skinks joined an initial cohort of four, with all individuals surviving and thriving in their new environment.
Unique Alpine Habitat and Challenges
Guthega skinks inhabit "sky islands" above 1,600 metres in two isolated alpine locations – the Bogong high plains in Victoria and Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales. "They're extremely vulnerable, given where they live," explained skink specialist Dr Zak Atkins, director of Snowline Ecology.
As climate change causes their alpine zone to retract, these lizards face an existential threat with nowhere higher to retreat. More frequent bushfires present additional dangers, with multiple colonies lost during the devastating 2003 fires.
Family-Oriented Creatures
Dr Joanna Sumner from Museums Victoria's research institute noted that Guthega skinks belong to an evolutionary group that lives in close-knit family units. "You'll have family groups that share a rocky outcrop. They'll often share a place where they all go and defecate as well," she explained.
Females from the Victorian population typically produce very few offspring – usually only one or two babies per year. "The babies will hang around with the parents. You'll often see them basking in a pile in a sunny spot," Sumner added.
Burrow-Dwelling Lifestyle
These remarkable creatures demonstrate strong attachment to their burrows, rarely moving more than a few metres from home. Their subterranean warrens enable survival through harsh alpine winters, with skinks hibernating for five months beneath the snow.
"Like an underground labyrinth," Atkins described, "their burrows have multiple entrances, allowing them to enter at one place and pop out in another." The skinks live in these burrows with their family groups throughout their approximately twenty-year lifespan.
Genetic Diversity and Conservation Goals
Grace Rouget, Healesville Sanctuary's carnivores and reptiles coordinator, revealed that all eleven skinks released to the field enclosure were bred with mixed-origin parentage from Victorian and New South Wales colonies. This strategic approach aims to support genetic diversity in neighbouring wild populations.
The primary conservation goal remains improving the health of the Victorian population and preventing extinction as global heating threatens their alpine habitat. Associate Professor Ailie Gallant, a climate scientist at Monash University, emphasised that alpine environments are highly sensitive to climate changes, with reduced snow seasons and increased bushfire susceptibility.
Looking Forward
Scientists expect Omeo will have two babies based on physical examinations. Interestingly, newborn skinks look completely different from their parents – while adults are camouflaged brown and grow to about a ruler's length, the young are tiny (about the weight of a button) and jet black with vibrant yellow spots.
"It's going awesome," Atkins reported about the program's progress. "It just looks like a normal functioning wild colony, which is exactly what we wanted." The fact that captive-bred skinks have begun digging their own burrows represents a particularly positive sign for their adaptation to semi-wild conditions.
As climate change continues to threaten these unique alpine habitats, conservationists stress that rapidly and aggressively cutting emissions represents the only sustainable solution to protect these areas from further climatic changes. "We really need to make sure we protect the habitat they're in," Atkins emphasised. "They're stuck on the very top of the mountain with nowhere else to go."
