Skink havens offer hope for Australia's struggling reptiles

Key points

• A yakka skink population in Charleville, western Queensland, is growing. Researcher Stephen Peck says the number of skinks at four fenced sites has risen from about 10 to an estimated 28.
• The fences keep out cats and foxes but let snakes and birds pass through. Some skinks born inside the fences have grown large enough to move into new colonies outside.
• Monash ecologist David Chapple says threats to reptiles must be managed across their full range.