generally act peacefully toward other individuals. However, these lizards are territorial and can display agonistic behaviour towards conspecific intruders. They have stable home ranges and can differentiate between individuals through chemical cues. Familial neighbours who share home ranges and burrows do not show aggressive behaviour. However, unfamiliar males will be attacked by other males in occasional agonistic interactions. Scale damaged has allowed for the observation that unpaired males are more likely to display agonistic behaviour towards each other. They are floating males and thus wander many home ranges with male inhabitants. T. rugosa performs almost no parental care, so the observed monogamy is only advantageous premating. In captivity The shingleback skink has become a popular pet among Australian enthusiasts. They are relatively docile and easy to feed and maintain. A permit may be required to keep them in some states. Skinks will bite humans if threatened. These bites, although not venomous, will hurt like other animal bites and may cause the affected area to swell or bruise. Predators The species was once preyed upon by dingos, Australian pythons such as Morelia spilota, and local peoples; today the potential threats are more likely to come from large, introduced feral species such as foxes and cats. In the bush habitat in Western Australia, birds of prey like falcons and kookaburras, and large snakes will commonly prey on these skinks. Ticks and nematodes commonly parasitise this species by attaching under scales or in the ear. The kangaroo soft tick, Ornithodoros gurneyi, has been studied as a common parasite of T. rugosa, with claims that it infects the skinks when they spend time under trees or shrubs, where they commonly shelter during hot summer days. They have many performative defence mechanisms for predators. T. rugosa tends to gape open its mouth and display its blue tongue, which is often accompanied with intense hissing. Since they have a harsh bite, it is used for defence if interactions worsen. Reproduction T. rugosa is a viviparous skink meaning that its young are born live rather than being hatched from eggs as with most other lizards. Females may give birth to a single offspring that, on average, is 35% of her body weight. Brood size may be from one to four — more usually two to three — relatively large offspring. The trade-off with small litter size versus large body size increases their survival chances. Females possess a