WESTERN SNAKE EYED SKINK Cryptoblepharus plagiocephalus (Cocteau, 1836)
A small skink, this species only attains 9 cm.
Common throughout all of Australia except for the far east coast and south coastal regions, it is called the Snake Eyed Skink because it's lower eyelid is fused and immovable, forming a spectacle covering the eye. Thus its' eyes are permanently open, not unlike a snake.
This agile diurnal skink is found in all habitats, where it is usually seen by day around boulders and climbing trees in search of insects.
Like all skinks of the genus Cryptoblepharus this lizard moves in a distinctive rapid stop/start manner, making it relatively difficult to catch.
The Snake Eyed Skink has no hesitation in shedding it's tail when something attempts to capture it. An egg layer.

The above was from the book Australian Reptiles and Frogs by Raymond Hoser and now available on a fantastic CD-Rom along with a vast amount of other information, papers and the like on reptiles, frogs and other wildlife.