{{Short description|Species of lizard}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2013}} {{Speciesbox | name = | image = Shingleback-sa.jpg | image_caption = Eastern shingleback | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Sanderson, C. |author2=Lloyd, R. |author3=Craig, M. |author4=Gaikhorst, G. |date=2017 |title=''Tiliqua rugosa'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T109481513A109481530 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T109481513A109481530.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Tiliqua | species = rugosa | authority = (Gray, 1825)<ref name="Gray">Gray, J.E. (1825). A synopsis of the genera of reptiles and Amphibia, with a description of some new species. ''Annals of Philosophy'' 10:193—217. [https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_51502_asynopsisofthegeneraofreptiles9999 p. 201]</ref> | subdivision_ranks = Subspecies | subdivision = :''T. r. rugosa'' :''T. r. asper'' :''T. r. konowi'' :''T. r. palarra'' | synonyms = ''Trachydosaurus rugosus'' | range_map = Tiliqua_rugosa_distribution_map.png | range_map_caption = Distribution of ''Tiliqua rugosa'' }} thumb|Western shingleback thumb|right|Rottnest Island shingleback'''''Tiliqua rugosa''''', most commonly known as the '''shingleback skink''', '''shingleback lizard''', or '''bobtail lizard''' (often simply '''shingleback''' or '''bobtail'''); is a short-tailed, slow-moving species of blue-tongued skink (genus ''Tiliqua'') endemic to Australia. Three of its four recognised subspecies are found in Western Australia, where the bobtail name is most frequently used.<ref name="bobtail">{{cite web |author=City of Wanneroo |title=Bushland Critters |year=2009 |url=http://www.wanneroo.wa.gov.au/cproot/2827/3/Topic%207%20-%20Bushland%20critters.pdf |access-date=2010-11-09}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The fourth subspecies, ''T. rugosa asper,'' is the only one native to eastern Australia, where it goes by the common name of the '''eastern shingleback'''.
Apart from bobtail and shingleback, a variety of other common names are used in different states, including '''two-headed skink''',<ref name="pianka"/> '''stumpy lizard,'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shingleback |url=https://backyardbuddies.org.au/backyard-buddies/shingleback/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Backyard Buddies |language=en-AU |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803061412/https://backyardbuddies.org.au/backyard-buddies/shingleback/ |url-status=live}}</ref> '''stumpy-tailed lizard''', '''pinecone lizard''', '''{{Not a typo|bogeye}}''' or '''{{Not a typo|boggi}}''',<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/reptiles/shingleback-lizard/ |title=Shingleback Lizard |website=The Australian Museum |language=en |access-date=2020-03-28 |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618041625/https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/reptiles/shingleback-lizard/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and less commonly: '''sleepy lizard'''.<ref name="NRDB">{{NRDB species|genus=Tiliqua|species=rugosa}}</ref> The Noongar Aboriginal people refer to ''T. rugosa'' as '''yoorn''' in their language.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.noongarculture.org.au/glossary/noongar-word-list/ |title=Noongar Word List {{!}} Kaartdijin Noongar |website=www.noongarculture.org.au |access-date=2020-03-28 |archive-date=30 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330080109/https://www.noongarculture.org.au/glossary/noongar-word-list/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
''T. rugosa'' has a short, wide, stumpy tail that resembles its head and may serve the purpose of confusing predators. The tail also contains fat reserves, which are drawn upon during brumation in winter, during which many lizards perform a behaviour similar to hibernation except they require water every day, but can go without food. This skink is an omnivore; it eats snails and plants and spends much of its time browsing through vegetation for food. In human habitation, it is often seen basking on roadsides or other paved areas.
==Etymology and taxonomy== The species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1825 as ''Trachydosaurus rugosus''.<ref name="Gray" /><ref name="NRDB"/> It is now classified as ''Tiliqua rugosa''. Some herpetologists claim this species has more common names than any other lizard.<ref name="pianka">{{Cite book |last1=Pianka |first1=Eric R. |last2=Vitt |first2=Laurie J. |title=Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity (Organisms and Environments, 5) |place=California |publisher=University of California Press |year=2003 |volume=5 |edition=1 |isbn=978-0-520-23401-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lizardswindowsto00pian}}</ref>
==Subspecies== Four subspecies of ''Tiliqua rugosa'' are currently recognised:<ref name="NRDB"/> *''Tiliqua rugosa asper'':<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=J. E. |year=1845 |title=Catalogue of the specimens of lizards in the collection of the British Museum |publisher=Trustees of die British Museum/Edward Newman |location=London}}</ref> eastern shingleback – eastern Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria) *''T. rugosa rugosa'': bobtail or western shingleback – Western Australia *''T. rugosa konowi'':<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mertens |first=R. |year=1958 |title=Neue Eidechsen aus Australien |journal=Senckenbergiana Biologica |volume=39 |pages=51–56 |language=de}}</ref> Rottnest Island bobtail or Rottnest Island shingleback – Rottnest Island, Western Australia *''T. rugosa palarra'':<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shea |first=G. M. |year=2000 |chapter=Die Shark-Bay-Tannenzapfenechse Tiliqua rugosa palarra subsp. nov. |editor1-last=Hauschild |editor1-first=A. |editor2-last=Hitz |editor2-first=R. |editor3-last=Henle |editor3-first=K. |editor4-last=Shea |editor4-first=G. M. |editor5-last=Werning |editor5-first=H. |title=Blauzungenskinke. Beiträge zu Tiliqua und Cyclodomorphus |pages=108–112 |publisher=Natur und Tier Verlag |location=Münster |isbn=3-931587-33-9 |language=de}}</ref> northern bobtail or Shark Bay shingleback – Shark Bay, Western Australia
==Distribution and habitat== The species is widely distributed in arid to semiarid regions of southern and western Australia. The range extends from Broome, Western Australia, across the southernmost regions of the country to the coast, then north into Queensland. Four subspecies are found in Western Australia, including one at Rottnest Island. It also lives in the eastern states of Victoria and New South Wales, but does not reach coastal areas in these states.<ref name="Cogger">{{cite book |last=Cogger |first=Harold G. |author-link=Harold Cogger |title=Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia |year=2000 |location=Sanibel Island, FL |publisher=Ralph Curtis Books |isbn=0-88359-048-4}}</ref>
The habitat of the species includes shrub lands, eucalyptus forests, desert grasslands, and sandy dunes. They often shelter in the bush under low foliage. Being cold-blooded, these skinks are well known to have a strong preference for sun basking in open areas, and are often seen along roadsides, paddock edges or other cleared areas in its range.<ref name="Bush">{{cite book |last=Browne-Cooper |first=Robert |author2=Brian Bush |author3=Brad Maryan |author4=David Robinson |title=Reptiles and Frogs in the Bush: Southwestern Australia |year=2007 |publisher=University of Western Australia Press |isbn=978-1-920694-74-6 |page=99}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Westaway |first=Dylan M. |last2=Nimmo |first2=Dale G. |last3=Forrest |first3=Scott W. |last4=Cowan |first4=Mitchell A. |date=2025-11-27 |title=Navigating fragmentation: movement ecology and habitat selection of a large, long-lived skink in an agricultural landscape |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10980-025-02253-3 |journal=Landscape Ecology |language=en |volume=40 |issue=12 |doi=10.1007/s10980-025-02253-3 |issn=1572-9761}}</ref> On average, individuals have a home range of four hectares, and can move up to 500 metres per day.<ref name=":1">[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-26/lives-of-australia's-sleepy-lizards-tracked/7054474 Sleepy lizards' monogamous lives tracked by researchers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617062627/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-26/lives-of-australia%27s-sleepy-lizards-tracked/7054474 |date=17 June 2016 }} ''ABC News'', 26 December 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref>
These lizards show strong home range site stability for up to several years and often multiple lizards can utilise the same burrow. As conditions become hotter and drier these lizards tend to share the burrows. During the spring time and given an adequate source of food that season and normal mating behaviour, males can often overlap each other's ranges. This can lead to territoriality and agonistic behaviour.<ref name=":3">Gregory D. Kerr, C. Michael Bull, Exclusive core areas in overlapping ranges of the sleepy lizard, ''Tiliqua rugosa'', ''Behavioral Ecology'', Volume 17, Issue 3, May/June 2006, Pages 380–391,</ref>
==Description== ''Tiliqua rugosa'' has a heavily armoured body and can be found in various colours, ranging from dark brown to cream.<ref name="pianka"/> Its snout–vent length varies from {{convert|260|to|310|mm|abbr=on}},<ref>Wilson, S. & Swan, G. (2003). ''A complete guide to reptiles of Australia''. New Holland Publishers, Sydney. {{ISBN|1 876334 72 X}}</ref> and it is very heavy-bodied for its length.<ref name="pianka"/> Their eyes are small with a reddish-brown and grey colour.<ref name=":0"/>
thumb|Shingleback lizard It has a triangular head and a bright blue tongue,<ref name="pianka"/> inside a bright pink mouth.<ref name=":0"/> Its short, stumpy tail is similar in shape to its head. This is probably a defence mechanism to confuse predators although it also stores fat and has led to the common name of "two-headed skink".<ref name="pianka"/> Unlike many skinks, shinglebacks do not exhibit autotomy and cannot shed their tails.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/lizards/nose/shingle.php |title=Lizards & Snakes: Alive! | American Museum of Natural History |access-date=2009-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122151243/http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/lizards/nose/shingle.php |archive-date=2008-11-22}}</ref>
The average lifespan for these skinks is 10 to 15 years, but some individuals have been known to live for as much as 50 years in the wild.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-16/life-death-and-grief-of-the-sleepy-lizard/8442252 Life, death and a sleepy lizard: One researcher's remarkable work on a monogamous blue-tongue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105025215/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-16/life-death-and-grief-of-the-sleepy-lizard/8442252 |date=5 January 2020 }} ''ABC News'', 16 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref>
thumb|Shed skin, 37 cm long, head on right of image The species normally shed their skin as a whole, including the eye covering. This takes up to several hours, during which the lizard rubs against objects to help the process.
The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with males being stockier than females and having a larger head although females generally grow larger than males.
==Diet== thumb|upright|Front view ''T. rugosa'' is an omnivore that eat snails, insects, carrion, vegetation and flowers. Since they are slow-moving, they tend to eat other slow moving species. This is perhaps why ''T. rugosa'' has a stronger preference for plants than other blue-tongue skink species. They can easily crush through the shells of snails with their strong jaws.<ref name=":0"/>
As they overlap with human habitation and settlement, they have also been known to eat human food, such as sausage and chicken, as well as fruits such as strawberries, banana and passionfruit.
== Behaviour == ''T. rugosa'' live a very sedentary lifestyle and generally act peacefully toward other individuals.<ref name="pianka" /> However, these lizards are territorial and can display antagonistic behaviour towards conspecific intruders. They have stable home ranges and can differentiate between individuals through chemical cues. Familial neighbours who share home ranges and burrows do not show aggressive behaviour. However, unfamiliar males will be attacked by other males in occasional agonistic interactions. Observation of damage to scales has provided evidence that unpaired males are more likely to display antagonistic behaviour towards each other. left|thumb|Captive specimens They are floating males and thus wander many home ranges with male inhabitants. ''T. rugosa'' performs almost no parental care, so the observed monogamy is only advantageous premating.<ref name=":3"/>
===In captivity=== The shingleback skink has become a popular pet among Australian enthusiasts. They are relatively docile and easy to feed and maintain. A permit may be required to keep them in some states. Skinks will bite humans if threatened. These bites, although not venomous, will hurt like other animal bites and may cause the affected area to swell or bruise.<ref name=":0"/>left|thumb|Threat display
== Predators == This species was once preyed upon by dingos and Australian pythons such as ''Morelia spilota'', as well as by Aboriginal Australians; today the potential threats are more likely to come from large, introduced feral species such as foxes and cats.<ref>{{cite journal |author=C. M. Bull, and Y. Pamula |year=1998 |title=Enhanced vigilance in monogamous pairs of the lizard, Tiliqua rugosa |url=http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/9/5/452 |format=PDF |journal=Behavioral Ecology |publisher=Oxford University Press |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=452–455 |doi=10.1093/beheco/9.5.452 |issn=1465-7279 |access-date=2008-04-12 |doi-access=free |archive-date=10 February 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210092548/http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/9/5/452 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the bush habitat in Western Australia, birds of prey like brown falcons and laughing kookaburras, and large snakes (such as eastern brown snakes, red-bellied black snakes and mulga snakes) will commonly prey on this skink.<ref name=":0"/>
Ticks and nematodes commonly parasitise this species by attaching under scales or in the ear.<ref name=":0"/> The kangaroo soft tick, ''Ornithodoros gurneyi,'' has been studied as an occasional parasite of ''Tiliqua rugosa'', likely due to cohabitation of shrubs and leaf litter underneath trees where red kangaroos and wallabies shelter during hot summer days. While the red kangaroo is considered to be the primary host of ''O. gurneyi'', it has been observed that larval and nymph ticks can parasitise ''T. rugosa'' and successfully develop to maturity. It is suggested that ''T. rugosa'' may play a role in dispersal of ''O. gurneyi'' as individual of this skink species have a relatively large home range, within which there may be several sites where host species interact.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Norval |first1=Gerrut |last2=Sharrad |first2=Robert D. |last3=Gardner |first3=Michael G. |date=2022-01-01 |title=A mammal tick with a taste for lizard blood: Parasitism by the kangaroo soft tick, (Ornithodoros gurneyi) on sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877959X21002120 |journal=Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases |volume=13 |issue=1 |article-number=101859 |doi=10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101859 |pmid=34768200 |issn=1877-959X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
''T. rugosa'' has many performative defence mechanisms for predators. It tends to gape open its mouth and display its blue tongue, which is often accompanied by intense hissing. It has a harsh bite, which is used for defence if interactions worsen.
== Reproduction == ''T. rugosa'' is a viviparous skink meaning that its young are born live rather than being hatched from eggs as with most other lizards. Pregnancy and parturition are incredibly taxing on females. Relative clutch mass is 26.8% '''''±'''''1.5% that of the mother.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bull |first1=C. Michael |last2=Pamula |first2=Yvonne |last3=Schulze |first3=Lana |date=December 1993 |title=Parturition in the Sleepy Lizard, Tiliqua rugosa |journal=Journal of Herpetology |volume=27 |issue=4 |page=489 |doi=10.2307/1564848 |jstor=1564848 }}</ref>
Brood size may be from one to four — more usually two to three — relatively large offspring.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Viegas |first=Jennifer |date=2007-02-27 |title=Lizard suffers world's worst pregnancy |url=https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/02/27/1858120.htm |access-date=2022-02-01 |website=www.abc.net.au |language=en-AU |archive-date=1 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201230305/https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/02/27/1858120.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The trade-off with small litter size versus large body size increases their survival chances.<ref name="pianka" /> Females possess a well-developed placenta with which they feed their unborn young.<ref name="AusMus">{{cite web |author=Australian Museum |title=Shingleback Lizard |year=2020 |url=https://australian.museum/learn/animals/reptiles/shingleback-lizard/ |access-date=2010-11-09 |archive-date=26 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526041423/https://australian.museum/learn/animals/reptiles/shingleback-lizard/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
Unlike most other lizards the species tends to be monogamous and tend to re-unite in pairs during September to November prior to the breeding season. Pairs have been known to return to each other every year for up to 20 years.<ref name="pianka" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bull |first1=C. Michael |last2=Cooper |first2=Steven J. B. |last3=Baghurst |first3=Ben C. |year=1998 |title=Social monogamy and extra-pair fertilisation in an Australian lizard, ''Tiliqua rugosa'' |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=63–72 |doi=10.1007/s002650050515 |bibcode=1998BEcoS..44...63B |s2cid=12509852}}</ref> The breeding season is from December to April and the gestation period is usually 3–5 months.<ref name="AusMus" />
When they are born, the young immediately consume their afterbirth.<ref name="pianka" /> They stay with their parents for several months before becoming independent, but they remain in close proximity, forming a colony of closely related skinks.<ref name="pianka" />
The male of a monogamous pair eats less while parenting, remaining alert and ready to give an alarm.<ref name="pianka" /> They will tail behind the female to protect them from rival males while the female fends for food.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bull |first1=C. M. |last2=Pamula |first2=Y. |date=1998-01-01 |title=Enhanced vigilance in monogamous pairs of the lizard, Tiliqua rugosa |journal=Behavioral Ecology |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=452–455 |doi=10.1093/beheco/9.5.452 |issn=1045-2249 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
== Socialisation ==
thumb|upright|Tiliqua rugosa at Sparrow Hill, near Canberra
Forming monogamous pair bonds is a central facet of the bobtail lizard's life. Their excellent sense of direction allows the male to follow or pursue the female repeatedly, even outside of mating season. When one of the pair is killed, these skinks have even been observed grieving or brooding for their pair partner.<ref name=":1"/> Social monogamy is beneficial to female bobtail lizards more than males. This is why polyandry is seldom found but polygyny is more common. Females tend to prefer attentive males, and therefore hold the mating choice. Researchers have found that males have to prove themselves to the female by following them around for a couple of weeks before mating, to be selected as a mate. For this reason, females often prefer to stay with the same male in future years; they gain the value of consistency and confidence that the male will once again be attentive. Females that switch mate pairs some years have been found doing so when the male was less attentive in the previous year.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Bull |first1=C. Michael |last2=Cooper |first2=Steven J. B. |last3=Baghurst |first3=Ben C. |date=1998-10-01 |title=Social monogamy and extra-pair fertilization in an Australian lizard, Tiliqua rugosa |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |language=en |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=63–72 |doi=10.1007/s002650050515 |bibcode=1998BEcoS..44...63B |s2cid=12509852 |issn=1432-0762}}</ref>
There are many reasons for why monogamy is especially popular in bobtail lizards. First, having two long-term pairs enhances parental care as there are two parents to watch after, fend for, and acquire resources for the offspring. Additionally, monogamy makes it easier for males to guard female home ranges. In polygamous setups, guarding multiple female ranges against other males proves to be difficult and waste time and resources.
Extra-pair fertilisation, although more rare, tends to produce larger broods. However, the trade-off is that the female receives less attention in these setups, hence monogamy is most popular.<ref name=":2"/>
== Sensation and perception == [[File:Skink 1891.jpg|left|thumb|Tiliqua rugosa 1891 specimen in National Museum of Ireland - Natural History labelled as T. rugosus Gray]] === Hearing === Their hearing can be measured at the round window as cochlear microphonics and summating potential (of the cochlea), and compound action potential and single-fibre responses (of the auditory nerve).{{Technical inline|date=August 2014}} These indicate a best hearing range near 1000 Hz. Earlier reports that their hearing sensitivity varied with the season<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Johnstone |first1=J. R. |last2=Johnstone |first2=B. M. |name-list-style=amp |year=1969 |title=Electrophysiology of the lizard cochlea |journal=Experimental Neurology |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=99–109 |doi=10.1016/0014-4886(69)90008-9 |pmid=4306107}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Johnstone |first1=J. R. |last2=Johnstone |first2=B. M. |name-list-style=amp |year=1969 |title=Unit responses from the lizard auditory nerve |journal=Experimental Neurology |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=528–537 |doi=10.1016/0014-4886(69)90156-3 |pmid=5799201}}</ref> have been shown to be an artefact of the seasonally varying sensitivity to anesthetics.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Koeppl |first1=C. |last2=Manley |first2=G.A. |last3=Johnstone |first3=B.M. |name-list-style=amp |year=1990 |title=Peripheral auditory processing in the bobtail lizard V Seasonal effects of anaesthesia |journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology |volume=167 |issue=1 |pages=139–144 |doi=10.1007/bf00192413 |s2cid=39416842}}</ref>
Single-unit recordings from the auditory nerve show both spontaneous and nonspontaneous responses. Tuning curves show peak sensitivity between 200 Hz and 4.5 kHz. The absolute sensitivity is quite high, with some thresholds at 6 db sound pressure level, very close to human best sensitivity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Manley |first1=G.A. |last2=Koeppl |first2=C. |last3=Johnstone |first3=B.M. |name-list-style=amp |year=1990 |title=Peripheral auditory processing in the bobtail lizard I Frequency tuning of auditory nerve fibers |journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology |volume=167 |issue=1 |pages=89–99 |doi=10.1007/bf00192409 |s2cid=12644895}}</ref>
=== Olfaction === The sense of smell is crucial for this species avoidance behaviours. Living in bush lands that are so prone to fire means skinks have to easily be able to detect smoke. During studies, it was proven that ''T. rugosa'' engaged in more active behaviour such as pacing and tongue flicking in the presence of smoke. Scientists have concluded that fires are detected by their olfactory senses.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mendyk |first1=Robert W. |last2=Weisse |first2=Adam |last3=Fullerton |first3=Will |date=2020-05-01 |title=A wake-up call for sleepy lizards: the olfactory-driven response of Tiliqua rugosa (Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria) to smoke and its implications for fire avoidance behavior |journal=Journal of Ethology |language=en |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=161–166 |doi=10.1007/s10164-019-00628-z |s2cid=209331460 |issn=1439-5444 }}</ref>
=== Visual perception === It has been discovered that bobtail lizards maintain the ability to navigate home when displaced from their home range. This remarkable ability is due to visual cues from light polarisation and ferromagnetic detection, forming a sort of "celestial compass" that provides the lizard a sense of direction when coming back home. However, this ability only persists until about 800 metres out of the home range, and further displacement distances means the skink is too far away to navigate.
== Conservation status == Under the IUCN Red List, ''Tiliqua rugosa'' is categorised as Least Concern. They are a protected species in Australia and can only be exported lawfully under a federal permit, but their import into and trade between other countries is not commonly illegal.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Heinrich |first1=S. |last2=Toomes |first2=A. |last3=Shepherd |first3=C. R. |last4=Stringham |first4=O. C. |last5=Swan |first5=M. |last6=Cassey |first6=P. |date=2021-07-05 |title=Strengthening protection of endemic wildlife threatened by the international pet trade: The case of the Australian shingleback lizard |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acv.12721 |journal=Animal Conservation |language=en |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=91–100 |doi=10.1111/acv.12721 |s2cid=237859373 |issn=1367-9430 |access-date=25 April 2023 |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212102601/https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acv.12721 |url-status=live|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Its population is stable and for the most part there are no significant threats.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sanderson |first1=Chris |last2=Lloyd |first2=Ray |last3=Craig |first3=Michael |last4=Gaikhorst |first4=Glen |date=2017-02-21 |title=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tiliqua rugosa |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Tiliqua%20rugosa&searchType=species |journal=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |access-date=30 April 2022 |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212102601/https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Tiliqua%20rugosa&searchType=species |url-status=live}}</ref> However, the subspecies ''T. r. konowi,'' located on Rottnest island, is considered Vulnerable.<ref name="konowi">{{cite web |author=Atlas of Living Australia |title=Atlas of Living Australia |year=2015 |url=https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:7c750a92-0cb5-45f5-942a-0d00e5f5c18e |access-date=2022-04-30 |archive-date=30 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430143346/https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:7c750a92-0cb5-45f5-942a-0d00e5f5c18e |url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading == {{Wikispecies}} {{Commons}} *{{cite news |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |website=ABC News |title=Fleas and ticks may be creating new sub-species of shingleback lizards |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/lizard-evolution-research-into-links-with-fleas-and-ticks/11981124 |date=19 February 2020 |first1=Gary-Jon |last1=Lysaght |first2=Shannon |last2=Corvo |access-date=20 February 2020}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q572677}}
Category:Reptiles of Western Australia Category:Pets in Australia Category:Reptiles described in 1825 Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray Category:Skinks of Australia rugosa