The Arnhem Land Gorges skink was first noted to be distinct in 1974 by Harold Cogger, who called it Egernia cf. frerei.[3] Australian herpetologists Richard W. Wells and C. Ross Wellington described Hortonia obiri in 1985 from a specimen in the Northern Territory Museum in Darwin that had been collected 3 km southwest of Gunbalanya (formerly known as Oenpelli) by Brian Jukes on 28 July 1975.[4] Ross Sadlier called it Egernia arnhemensis in 1990.[3]
^ abAustralian Biological Resources Study (20 August 2013). "Species Bellatorias obiri (Wells & Wellington, 1985)". Australian Faunal Directory. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government. Retrieved 11 December 2018.