Land Mullet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia (paraphyletic)
(unranked):	Sauria
Order:	Squamata (paraphyletic)
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Scincidae
Subfamily:	Lygosominae
Genus:	Egernia
Species:	E. major
Binomial name
Egernia major (Gray, 1845)
Synonyms
Tropidolepisma major Gray, 1845

The Land Mullet (Egernia major) is one of the largest member of the skink family (Scincidae), reaching lengths of up to 50 cm. They are uniform glossy black to brown, with a paler ring around the eye.

The unusual name comes from the pungent, fishy odour emitted when threatened.

Native to Australia, they are found throughout the coastal rainforest of Southern Queensland and north and central New South Wales. The range of natural distribution is the northern side of the Hawkesbury River in the south, to the Conondale Range, near Maleny in south eastern Queensland.

They can be easily confused with the related Major Skink (Egernia frerei).

[edit] References

• A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia - Steve Wilson & Gerry Swan ISBN 1 876334 72 X page 206

[edit] External links

• Australian Reptile Park

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