Skink

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Skinks
Coal Skink
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Scincidae Gray, 1825
Genera
many—see text

Skinks are the most diverse group of lizards. They make up the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae (the "true" or wall lizards). Scincidae is the largest of the lizard families with about 1,200 species.

[edit] Description

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.

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.

[edit] Diet

Skinks are generally carnivorous and largely eat insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. They also eat spiders, earthworms, snails, slugs, isopods, other lizards, and small mice. Some species, particularly those favored as home pets, have a more varied diet and can be maintained on a regimen of roughly 60% vegetables/leaves/fruit and 40% meat and meat products (cat or dog food). ^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Skinks occur worldwide. Some species are endangered.

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, such as the Mole skink in Florida. Most skinks are diurnal, so they are active during the day. They like to crawl out on rocks or logs to bask (soak up heat from the sun) during the day.

[edit] Breeding

During the breeding season, some types of skink will exhibit orange or red markings to indicate sexual maturity. About 55% of the skinks are oviparous, that is, they lay eggs in small clutches. The other 45% are ovoviviparous, giving birth to living offspring.

[edit] Predators

Raccoons, foxes, opossums, snakes and hawks all prey on skinks.

[edit] 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
• Genus Hemiergis: Earless Skinks (Australia)
• Genus Hemisphaeriodon
• Genus Isopachys
• Genus Janetaescincus
• Genus Lacertaspis
• Genus Lacertoides
• Genus Lacertus
• Genus Lamprolepis
• Genus Lampropholis; (Common Garden Skink)
• 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 Plestiodon
• 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; (Blue-tongued lizards)
• Genus Trachydosaurus; the rugosus species is known as Shingle
• Genus Tribolonotus
• Genus Tropidophorus
• Genus Tropidoscincus
• Genus Typhlacontias
• Genus Typhlosaurus
• Genus Voeltzkowia

[edit] References

1. ^ McLeod, Lianne. Keeping Blue Tongued Skinks as Pets. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.

[edit] Further reading

^[2]

[edit] External links

• Description of Skinks at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.
• The Five-lined Skink
• The Lizards of Missouri
• Observations on Mating Behavior of the Solomon Island Skink