This lovely cuddly couple is a pair of shingleback skinks. And yes, these two are in fact a couple, and they are in fact cuddling.
Closely related to the blue-tongue skink, shinglebacks form lifelong monogamous pairs. They don't live together all year, but in the spring a bonded couple will track each other down (sometimes over very long distances), mate and raise a young or two, and then part ways until the next year. After they meet up and before they start mating, they usually have a 6-8 week long period of the most absurdly cute behaviour - they nuzzle and nudge each other, lick each other's faces, and snuggle up next to each other.
Their newborn are *enormous* (roughly equivalent to giving birth to a four-year-old), and the father is on guard duty while the mother recovers. While he doesn't help his young forage (no reptile does), he does watch over them and will defend them against predators. In the period where he's guarding first his mate and then his kids, he doesn't usually eat anything himself ... for about 2-3 months.
The mother is unable to eat near the end of the pregnancy (due to the enormous embryos), and has to focus on recovering and feeding afterwards.
They live for 50+ years, and if a shingleback dies, its mate will often sit vigil over the dead body for up to a week, and will often refuse to eat for months afterwards.
