The secretive world of hatchling skinks

Hatchling Penny lizard No 1, 
Casa da Ayre, Belmont, NSW, Australia, 8th January 2017.   

The engine revved wildly before settling to a steady throb as the throttle was pushed from "Start" to "Mow". Two-stroke exhaust stung my nostrils and my dogs ran away, peering out at me from their kennel. I smiled with pride as my backyard transitioned from grass to lawn.  I had to stop numerous times to let minuscule hatchling Penny lizards scamper out of the way.  They are in massive abundance at the moment, and once I was finished mowing, I took a couple of shots of three individual skinks to show the colour variation and just how small they really are.     

Hatchling Penny lizard No 2, with $2 coin for scale. 
Casa da Ayre, Belmont, NSW, Australia, 8th January 2017.  

Close-up of hatchling Penny lizard No 2. 
Casa da Ayre, Belmont, NSW, Australia, 8th January 2017.   

When you are as small and defenseless as a hatchling skink, such as these Penny lizards, Lampropholis delicata, you are on the menu for almost anything.  Predatory insects, spiders, frogs, larger lizards, snakes, birds, marsupial mice, cats - pretty much anything that can fit them in their mouths.  Their main defense seem to be crypsis, because as long as they do not move, they can be very hard to see.  Anecdotally, they seem to be most prevalent in leaf litter and thick grasses - the vibration and noise of the lawn mower flushed thirty or more in our little backyard this morning. 

This is another strategy - the sudden abundance seems to be very co-ordinated this year.  I've never really taken much notice before, but it would be fascinating to investigate if the hatching is timed to overwhelm the predators with sheer numbers of tiny hatchling skinks. Penny lizards are well-known to use communal nests; many females deposit their eggs in the same spot, under a brick or piece of log or timber resting on the ground. If they all hatch at the same time, undoubtedly many will be eaten by predators.  But hopefully not all will be eaten as their predators might be "stuffed-to-the-gills" and simply cannot fit another one in.  

The final line of defense for this species is the ability to shed their tail - properly referred to as autotomy.  The tail will be dropped very readily by hatchling Penny lizards, and will twitch madly for thirty seconds or so, hopefully allowing the skink to escape.  The tail will regenerate eventually, but will never be perfect again.  There will always be a colour and shape difference readily observable in the new tail.     

Close-up of hatchling Penny lizard No 3. 
Casa da Ayre, Belmont, NSW, Australia, 8th January 2017.