By Desrae Clarke
The Broad-banded Sand-swimmer is a handsome little skink. It is very shiny in appearance with a ground colouring from an orange-brown to a rich golden brown.
As its name suggests it has bandings that are of a dark brown to a purple-brown colouring extending from the back of the neck to the end of the tail. The bandings are evenly spaced but irregular, broken and branched.
There are two species in this genus with both animals found in Western Australia in arid/semi-arid areas. The Broad-banded Sand-swimmer is found in the southern portion of our State including the Shire of Toodyay.
These creatures, if disturbed, instantly burrow into soil with a ‘swimming’ movement.
The Broad-banded Sand-swimmer grows to a snout vent length (SVL is the length between the tip of the snout and vent area between the two back legs) of approximately 10cms. The long, slender tail measures up to one and a half times the SVL.
As with many in the skink species if a tail is dis-membered it will grow again without any patterning. This small reptile is also known to use the tip of its tail as a lure.
Broad-banded Sand-swimmer by Wayne Clarke.
The skink has a moveable lower lid for protection of its eyes when ‘swimming’ through the sand, usually to escape possible predation. The ear hole is extremely small and does not have lobules, the tiny lobes that protrude from the front of the ear in many reptiles.
The Broad-banded Sand-swimmer shelters during the day beneath rocks, in leaf litter, or shallow burrows under logs. It may be crepuscular (active during sunrise or sunset) or nocturnal when it ventures out to feed on termites.
Three to seven eggs are laid.
Several years ago, I was told of a Broad-banded Sand-swimmer observed chasing mice, causing the little rodents to squeak and squeal. Since that time, there have been reports of similar happenings. Another story was of a pair of Sand-swimmers who freely entered the kitchen of a home to share the family cat’s biscuits. When asked what the cats thought of the intrusion, I was told that ‘they just sat and observed the visitors’.
I have not heard of sightings for a long period, but remind you that all natural history observations are gratefully received by the Toodyay Naturalists.
This article was published in the August 2025 edition of the Toodyay Herald, p. 32.
The Toodyay Naturalists’ Club welcomes sightings and observations of flora, fauna and all areas of natural history. To add your sightings, email secretary@toodyaynats.org.au or submit a sighting via our online form.
