A James Cook University biologist has discovered a new species of lizard on Scawfell Island, a remote island 50km east of Mackay in north Queensland.
Associate Professor Conrad Hoskin named the new skink species the Scawfell Island Sunskink (Lampropholis isla) after discovering it with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and Partnerships Rangers.
The newly discovered skink has distinct orange markings on its sides and inhabits rocky, rainforest gullies.
"It is exciting to find a new species in Australia in this day and age, and particularly exciting to find a beautifully coloured species entirely restricted to this paradise of an island," Assoc Prof Hoskin said.
Scawfell Island, in the South Cumberland Islands National Park, came to fame in 2023 with the naming of a spectacular leaf-tailed gecko also unique to the island.
Assoc Prof Hoskin said surveys on surrounding islands in the South Cumberland Islands National Park failed to find the sunskink and leaf-tailed gecko, making Scawfell a stand-out among Queensland islands for its number of unique vertebrate species.
"A handful of other islands have one endemic vertebrate species, including K'gari, Hinchinbrook and Magnetic Island, but no other island is known to have two until now," he said.
"So, it's great to know about these special places like Scawfell Island that may be tiny but have really unique wildlife that we can now be careful to look after."
Now that the skink has been formally recognised Assoc Prof Hoskin said steps can be taken to help ensure its conservation moving forward.
"Until you discover it it's not on anyone's radar, and it takes the discovery and the naming of it before you can start conserving it" he said.
"We don't recognise any particular threats to them at the moment and there's good numbers. They might be doing quite well now, but anything that's just found in one spot you've got to be keeping a close eye on."
Senior QPWS Ranger for the Whitsundays region Sarah Jordan said it's important we understand the biodiversity of our island national parks.
"The recent discovery of these endemic species on Scawfell Island highlights the intrinsic value of the island national parks that we manage," she said.
"Our conservation efforts focus on safeguarding these unique ecosystems against potential threats".
The paper is published in Australian Journal of Taxonomy and is available online here.
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