*will probably be coming back to fix things or add more stuff at a later date -_^*
The skink is oviparous, dinural, and has a snout-vent length that can reach up to 82 mm. Like most reptiles, C. orientalis is terrestrial and heliothermic (meaning it gains body heat through the sun).
One of over 100 species in the genus Ctenotus. Like all skinks in this genus, C.orientalis has longitudinal lines running along their dorsal sides. Another identifying feature of the genus is the comb-like shape of their ear lobules. Three species, C. orientalis, C. olympicus, and C. regius, occationally hybridise where their distribution patterns cross. In comparison to C. olympicus, C. orientalis will always have a Pale brown to white straight-edged dorso-lateral stripe. The dorso-lateral stripe will narrow with a ragged edge if it is present in C. olympicus.
| C. orientalis | C. olympicus | C. regius | |
| Spots or mottling on the back |
X | X | |
| Lateral surface has stripes and or spots |
X | X | X |
| Dorso-lateral strupe is pale brown to white and straight edged |
X | X | |
| Dorso-lateral stripe is narrow with a ragged edge if present |
X |
C. orientalis prefers more open sites in comparison to the Spalding’s ctenotus (C. spaldingi) which prefers more rock-dominated habitats. The skink can be found in all states and territories of mainland Australia. Noting that, although there is no recorded observations of the skink in the Northern Territory, it is possible for the species to be found there based on close by locations in southwestern Queensland and north eastern South Australia.
C. orientalis is found in a number of semi-arid to warm temperate zones such as sandy desert to grasslands and rocky areas where it constructs burrows systems for both egg laying and shelter.
During the spring to early summer months, the skink lays anywhere up to 5 eggs in a singular clutch each year, which later hatch in summer.
The known diet of C. orientalis largely includes small invertebrates although occasionally it has been recorded eating plant matter such as the berries of Enchylaena tomentosa or other native shrubs.
Common names for Ctenotus orientalis include:
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