Skinks
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 Coal Skink | ||||||||||||
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many—see text |
Skinks are reptilians belonging to suborder Sauria, and there to the superfamily Scincomorpha, the same as the true lizards. The family Scincidae is the largest of the lizard families with about 1200 species.
Skinks look roughly like true lizards, but most species have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. Several genera (e.g., Typhlosaurus) have no limbs at all, others, such as Neoseps, have only reduced limbs. Often, their way of moving resembles that of snakes more than that of other lizards. Skinks usually have long, tapering tails that can be shed and regenerated.
Many species are good burrowers. There are more terrestrial or fossorial (burying) species than arboreal (tree-climbing) or aquatic species. Some are "sand swimmers", especially the desert species, but for instance also the Mole skink in Florida.
Most skinks are medium sized with a maximum length from the snout to the vent of some 12 cm, although there are a few that grow to larger sizes, such as the Corucia, which can reach 35 cm from snout to vent.
Skinks are generally carnivorous; many feed on smaller invertebrates.
About 55% of the skinks are oviparous, that is, they lay eggs in small clutches. The other 45% give birth to living offspring: they are viviparous.
Skinks occur worldwide. Some species are endangered.
Classification
Many large genera, Mabuya for example, are still insufficiently studied, and systematics is at times controversial, see e.g. the taxonomy of the Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus).
Family Scincidae
- Genus Ablepharus
- Genus Acontias
- Genus Acontophiops
- Genus Afroablepharus
- Genus Amphiglossus
- Genus Androngo
- Genus Anomalopus
- Genus Apterygodon
- Genus Asymblepharus
- Genus Ateuchosaurus
- Genus Barkudia
- Genus Bartleia
- Genus Bassiana
- Genus Brachymeles
- Genus Caledoniscincus
- Genus Calyptotis
- Genus Carlia
- Genus Cautula
- Genus Chabanaudia
- Genus Chalcides
- Genus Chalcidoseps
- Genus Coeranoscincus
- Genus Cophoscincopus
- Genus Corucia
- Genus Cryptoblepharus
- Genus Cryptoscincus
- Genus Ctenotus
- Genus Cyclodina
- Genus Cyclodomorphus
- Genus Dasia
- Genus Davewakeum
- Genus Egernia
- Genus Emoia
- Genus Eremiascincus
- Genus Eroticoscincus
- Genus Eugongylus
- Genus Eulamprus
- Genus Eumeces
- Genus Eumecia
- Genus Euprepes
- Genus Eurylepis
- Genus Feylinia
- Genus Fojia
- Genus Geomyersia
- Genus Geoscincus
- Genus Glaphyromorphus
- Genus Gnypetoscincus
- Genus Gongylomorphus
- Genus Gongylus
- Genus Graciliscincus
- Genus Haackgreerius
- Earless Skinks, Genus Hemiergis: Australia
- Genus Hemisphaeriodon
- Genus Isopachys
- Genus Janetaescincus
- Genus Lacertaspis
- Genus Lacertoides
- Genus Lacertus
- Genus Lamprolepis
- Genus Lampropholis
- Genus Lankascincus
- Genus Larutia
- Genus Leiolopisma
- Genus Leptoseps
- Genus Leptosiaphos
- Genus Lerista
- Genus Lioscincus
- Genus Lipinia
- Genus Lobulia
- Genus Lubuya
- Genus Lygisaurus
- Genus Lygosoma
- Genus Mabuya
- Genus Macroscincus
- Genus Marmorosphax
- Genus Melanoseps
- Genus Menetia
- Genus Mesoscincus
- Genus Mochlus
- Genus Morethia
- Genus Nangura
- Genus Nannoscincus
- Genus Neoseps
- Genus Nessia
- Genus Niveoscincus
- Genus Notoscincus
- Genus Novoeumeces
- Genus Oligosoma
- Genus Ophiomorus
- Genus Ophioscincus
- Genus Pamelaescincus
- Genus Panaspis
- Genus Papuascincus
- Genus Parachalcides
- Genus Paracontias
- Genus Paralipinia
- Genus Parvoscincus
- Genus Phoboscincus
- Genus Prasinohaema
- Genus Proablepharus
- Genus Proscelotes
- Genus Pseudoacontias
- Genus Pseudemoia
- Genus Pygomeles
- Genus Riopa
- Genus Ristella
- Genus Saiphos
- Genus Saproscincus
- Genus Scelotes
- Genus Scincella
- Genus Scincopus
- Genus Scincus
- Genus Scolecoseps
- Genus Sepsina
- Genus Sigaloseps
- Genus Simiscincus
- Genus Sphenomorphus
- Genus Sphenops
- Genus Tachygia
- Genus Tiliqua
- Genus Trachydosaurus
- Genus Tribolonotus
- Genus Tropidophorus
- Genus Tropidoscincus
- Genus Typhlacontias
- Genus Typhlosaurus
- Genus Voeltzkowia
External link
- Description of Skinks (http://www.embl-heidelberg.de/~uetz/families/Scincidae.html) at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.