Future of Carmichael mine hinges not on skinks or snakes, but its business case

Its potential environmental impact on vulnerable species has caused outrage, yet it is the fight to make the mine viable that may yet pose the greatest challenge

The sudden importance of two humble reptiles in the context of what would be Australia's largest coal mine represents yet another stumbling block for Indian corporate giant Adani.

But on their own, the snake and the skink are unlikely to sink the Carmichael mine.