Common dwarf skink
Encyclopedia
Menetia greyii, commonly known as the Common dwarf skink, is a species of lizard
endemic to mainland Australia
. One of Australia's most widespread and abundant lizards, it is occurs in all parts of the mainland except coastal areas in the south-east, and Cape York Peninsula
. It is common in disturbed areas such as urban backyards, and is therefore fairly well known.
It is a very small skink
with smooth scales and prominent limbs. It is grey to brown, usually with a stripe of black flecks along its back. Some populations have bright-yellow bellies, while others are silvery grey.
It is one of a small number of vertebrate
species that are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis
.
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
endemic to mainland Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. One of Australia's most widespread and abundant lizards, it is occurs in all parts of the mainland except coastal areas in the south-east, and Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
. It is common in disturbed areas such as urban backyards, and is therefore fairly well known.
It is a very small skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
with smooth scales and prominent limbs. It is grey to brown, usually with a stripe of black flecks along its back. Some populations have bright-yellow bellies, while others are silvery grey.
It is one of a small number of vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
species that are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction found in females, where growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization by a male...
.