Deep in the Yarra Valley, a state-of-the-art facility has been kept in total darkness for the past 10 weeks.
Inside slept some of Australia’s rarest lizards, buried within tonnes of soil with the inside air a perfect 2°C.
Now, after nearly three months of hibernation, light and warmth is creeping back into Healesville Sanctuary’s Skink Chalet, and the Guthega Skinks inside are waking up.
Keepers gradually warmed the facility to 16°C over the course of a week, mimicking the approach of spring in the species’ wild alpine home.
The Guthega Skinks also enjoy special basking lamps, which create deliciously warm spots of more than 30°C.
“In the wild, their body temperatures can go from 2°C to 34°C in day,” explains sanctuary keeper Mick Post. “They find rocks in the sun and just soak up the warmth. We’ve recreated that for them with lamps, and they seem to love it.”
While the skinks have spent months asleep, when spring arrives the Guthega Skinks wake up and get right back into the swing of life. They are now basking and feeding, preparing for the upcoming breeding system.
“The Guthega Skinks are really intelligent,” said Mr Post. “We’ll try to sneak up sometimes to observe them, and the second my head comes into view they’re locking eyes with me.
“They really have a look in their eyes like they know what’s going on. They know when anything is out of the ordinary, and they’re right on it.”
Guthega Skinks are endangered in the wild, where they are threatened by a changing climate, bushfires and land clearing. Healesville Sanctuary has been successfully breeding Guthega Skinks in captivity since 2017 – the only place in the world to do so.
While Healesville Sanctuary is temporarily closed to members and visitors, animal lovers at home can stay connected with the Zoo’s animals through the Zoos Victoria live stream cameras at www.zoo.org.au/animals-at-home
