Australias Stonker Skink is the Shingleback lizard, otherwise known as a Bog Eye in Queensland, Stumpy Tail in South Australia and Bobtail in Western Australia.
Two new ones have been discovered and formally named by Snake Man Raymond Hoser.
Stonker Skinks come in lots of colours and patterns and over the past 200 years four forms were named.
Most scientists treated them all as subspecies.
But recently the molecular biologists got onto the case and their results showed that there were indeed four different forms and that they were all different species.
So far so good, except for the fact that the wrong ones had been named.
Three forms named from Western Australia were all effectively the same thing, namely Trachydosaurus (AKA Tiliqua) rugosus. The later two names coined by scientists form them therefore are effectively binned mfrom here on in.
The east Australian form T. aspera is one of the other species and it is the main thing found east of the Nullarbor.
However, the other two species identified by the molecular biologists that were until now without scientific names are the following.
T. adelynhoseae is the species of Stonker Skink from south of Murray River, AKA Victoria, also found in far south-east South Australia.
The other one, the very unusual T. jackyhoserae is found in the dead centre of the Nullarbor in South Australia and Western Australia.
Where the species co-occur such as the lower Flinders Ranges and Adelaide Hills, there is no evidence of cross-breeding or hybridisation, confirming that they are indeed different species.

Why does this matter?

Stonker Skinks are heavily smuggled out of Australia and also illegally traded in this country.
They breed slowly, by only having 1-3 babies a year, making them at risk from human activities including over-collecting in the wild.
Recognising the correct species will enable wildlife departments across Australia to properly manage and conserve the reptiles. Zoos will be assisted by knowing which lizards can be paired and successfully bred and those not to bother trying to breed.
Stonker Skinks are like the Shrek of lizards.
They are chunky, gross shitting machines and yet adorable all at the same time.
It would be sad to see any of them become extinct.
Australia has roughly 1600 known species of reptiles and most are small and easily overlooked.
Stonker Skinks are not among them.
Snake Man Raymond Hoser has discovered about 1 in four formally named reptiles and 1 in four formally named frogs in Australia from all mainland Australian States and Territories including the ACT and Tasmania.

Further information and photos can be obtained from Raymond Hoser, The Snake Man.
Phone:
(Australia) 0412777211
Email:
snakeman (at) snakeman.com.au
Further information about Snake Man Raymond Hoser can be found at:
http://www.snakeman.com.au

Hosers paper on Stonker Skinks was published in the paper below:

Hoser, R. T. 2025. Bulls-eye for Bog-Eye taxonomy. There are four species of extant Shingleback Lizards and two are finally getting formally named! Australasian Journal of Herpetology 75:3-8. Published 6 May 2025.

Hard copies are available at:
http://www.herp.net

Raymond Hoser is the Snakeman. Details of his wildlife conservation and reserarch work here.