[4] The tail is flattened rather than cylindrical, and shorter than the head and body of the animal, at approximately 35% of the snout to vent length.

[4] The social aggregations typically consist of a breeding pair, immature juvenile and sub-adult offspring from successive litters, and other closely related individuals.

[11] Both seasonal and ontogenetic dietary changes have been reported in the species, with the juvenile diet consisting of a higher proportion of insects to plant matter.

[11] The reason for these dietary changes has not been established, although it is possible competitive pressure from juveniles following parturition, or seasonal changes in resource availability may contribute.

[7] The species uses two key mechanisms to reduce predation; the spiny tail morphology and defensive behaviours such as seldom straying far from rock crevice refuges.

[4] E. stokesii may be saxicolous, occupying rocky outcrops, or semi-arboreal, and found in grassland, woodland or shrubland habitats.

[12] The size of the litter has been demonstrated to positively correlate with both the snout to vent length and gravid mass of the female.

[5] The newborn skinks or mother may consume the birth membranes and yolks sac following parturition, and infanticide has been observed in the species.

[12] Populations of E. stokesii in eastern Australia typically give birth annually between during the summer months of February and March, but may not produce a litter every year.

The genus Corucia, endemic to the Solomon Islands, is considered the sister group to Australian Egerniinae.

[6] Morphological and molecular data analysed using Bayesian phylogenetic analysis suggests the Egerniinae began to radiate in mainland Australia approximately 35 million years ago, sometime between the late Eocene and early Oligocene epochs,[6] likely as a result of climatic fluctuations between glacial and desertification periods.

[14] The subspecific name, zellingi, is in honour of British biological collector Charles Weldon De Burgh Birch, Count Zelling (1821–1894).

[1] The subspecies E. stokesii badia, commonly known as the Western spiny-tailed skink, is listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.