Eleven endangered guthega skinks have been released into a gated enclosure in Victoria’s Alpine National Park. A female skink called Omeo is expected to give birth in March, which could increase their number to 13. Guthega skinks are one of Australia’s only alpine lizards. They live on “sky islands” over 1,600 metres high, in Victoria’s Bogong high plains and New South Wales’ Mount Kosciuszko. Skink expert Dr Zak Atkins of Snowline Ecology said, “They’re extremely vulnerable, given where they live.” Climate warming is causing their alpine habitat to shrink with nowhere higher for them to move. Frequent bushfires have also hurt them, wiping out colonies in 2003. Zoos Victoria started a captive breeding program that led to the release of these lizards into a special enclosure made with granite rocks and plants like alpine mint bush, their favorite food. In December, seven skinks joined the first four released. All have survived so far. Dr Atkins said, “It’s going awesome. It just looks like a normal functioning wild colony, which is exactly what we wanted.” He expects Omeo to have two babies based on her exam. Babies look very different from adults. Adults are brown and about ruler-sized. Babies are tiny, jet black with bright yellow spots, and weigh about as much as a button. Dr Joanna Sumner from Museums Victoria, not involved in the project, noted skinks live in close family groups sharing rocky homes and sunbathing spots. Females usually have only one or two babies yearly. The young stay close to parents. Dr Atkins added that these skinks love their burrows, rarely moving far from home. They live underground in labyrinth-like tunnels to survive five-month winters under snow. The release is hopeful as the captive skinks have started digging their own burrows. Grace Rouget from Healesville Sanctuary said the released skinks have mixed genetics from Victoria and NSW. This aims to strengthen wild populations and prevent extinction as global heating threatens their alpine homes. Climate scientist Associate Prof Ailie Gallant of Monash University warns alpine areas are very sensitive to climate change, with less snow and higher fire risk. She called for rapid emission cuts to protect these habitats. Dr Atkins summed it up: “They’re stuck on the very top of the mountain with nowhere else to go.”