This species is found in a wide variety of temperate to tropical habitats from rainforest edges, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, woodlands, coastal heaths and mangroves, where it forages among leaf-litter and other ground debris. This species is also a common garden lizard in suburban gardens and disturbed areas (Wilson and Swan 2013, Cogger 2014) along the east coast (Chapple et al. 2011).

This Australian endemic species is found from Cairns in northeastern Queensland, south to eastern New South Wales and eastern Tasmania, with disjunct subpopulations occurring in far western Victoria and South Australia (Chapple et al. 2011). This species has been introduced by human agency into Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia, as well as to the Hawaiian Islands (Cogger 2014) and the north island of New Zealand.

There are no species-specific conservation measures in place for this common species, which is considered to be secure in Tasmania, and of Least Concern in Queensland under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. This species is known to occur in a number of protected areas (Chapple et al. 2011).

McKeown, Sean. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians in the Hawaiian Islands. Diamond Head Publishing Company, 1996