Lygosominae
Encyclopedia
Lygosominae is the largest subfamily of skink
s in the family
Scincidae. The subfamily can be divided into a number of genus
-groups. If the rarely used taxonomic rank
of infrafamily is employed, the genus-groups would be designated as such, but such a move would require a formal description according to the ICZN
standards.
Also, several Lygosominae genera were notorious "wastebin taxa" in the past, with scientists assigning more or less closely related species
to them in a haphazard fashion and without verifying that the new species were close relatives of the genera's type species
. What was once placed in Lygosoma
for example is nowadays divided among some 15 genera. Similarly, Mabuya
and Sphenomorphus
are having species moved elsewhere even today. Obsolete genera include Euprepis.
Egernia group Cyclodomorphus
Egernia
– (paraphyletic: including Bellatorias, Liopholis and Lissolepis which are better regarded as distinct) Tiliqua – blue-tongued skinks
Eugongylus group
Mabuya group
– American mabuyas
Sphenomorphus group
Undetermined
"Hinulia" elegans, described by Grey in 1838, is unidentified, but may be Eulamprus tenuis.
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Scincidae. The subfamily can be divided into a number of genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
-groups. If the rarely used taxonomic rank
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
of infrafamily is employed, the genus-groups would be designated as such, but such a move would require a formal description according to the ICZN
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
standards.
Also, several Lygosominae genera were notorious "wastebin taxa" in the past, with scientists assigning more or less closely related species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
to them in a haphazard fashion and without verifying that the new species were close relatives of the genera's type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
. What was once placed in Lygosoma
Lygosoma
Writhing skinks, genus Lygosoma, are members of the lizard family Scincidae, where they form the type genus of the subfamily Lygosominae. They are primarily found in India, but some occur in nearby regions...
for example is nowadays divided among some 15 genera. Similarly, Mabuya
Mabuya
Mabuya is a genus of long-tailed skinks nowadays restricted to species from the Americas. The American mabuyas are primarily carnivorous, though many are omnivorous. Formerly, many Old World species were placed here, as Mabuya was a kind of "wastebasket taxon"...
and Sphenomorphus
Sphenomorphus
The genus Sphenomorphus – vernacularly known as the common skinks – currently serves as a "wastebin taxon" for a large number of skinks...
are having species moved elsewhere even today. Obsolete genera include Euprepis.
Egernia group
Cyclodomorphus
Cyclodomorphus is a genus of small to medium-sized skinks . It belongs to the Egernia group which also includes the blue-tongued skinks .-Species:*Cyclodomorphus branchialis...
Egernia
Egernia is a genus of skinks that occurs in Australia. These skinks are ecologically diverse omnivores that inhabit a wide range of habitats...
– (paraphyletic: including Bellatorias, Liopholis and Lissolepis which are better regarded as distinct)
Eugongylus group
- BassianaBassianaBassiana is a genus of skinks . It belongs to the Eugongylus group; the genus Oligosoma appears to be a fairly close relative. An alternative name is Acritoscincus...
(= Acritoscincus) – "cool-skins" - CarliaCarliaThe four-fingered skinks are the skink genus Carlia in the subfamily Lygosominae. It belongs to a clade with the genera Niveoscincus, Lampropholis and possibly others of the Eugongylus group.-Species:*Carlia aenigma...
– four-fingered skinks - CryptoblepharusCryptoblepharusCryptoblepharus is a genus of skinks commonly called snake-eyed skinks or shining-skinks. They occupy a fairly basal position among the Eugongylus group.-Species:*Cryptoblepharus adamsi Horner, 2007...
– snake-eyed skinks, shining-skinks - EmoiaEmoiaEmoia is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Lygosominae. It belongs to a group of genera mainly from the SW Pacific-Australian region, such as Leiolopisma; these and others form the Eugongylus group....
– emoias - EugongylusEugongylusEugongylus is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Lygosominae. The namesake of the Eugonglyus group of genera, it occupies a quite basal position among these...
– mastiff skinks, short-legged giant skinks - LampropholisLampropholisLampropholis, the Indo-Australian ground skinks or Sunskinks, are a genus of skinks in the subfamily Lygosominae. It belongs to a clade with the genera Niveoscincus, Leiolopisma and possibly others of the Eugongylus group. They are found mainly in Indonesia and Australia...
– Indo-Australian ground skinks - LeiolopismaLeiolopismaLeiolopisma is a genus of skinks. Most species occur in the region of New Caledonia-New Zealand, and they are related to other genera from that general area, such as Emoia; these and others form the Eugongylus group...
- NiveoscincusNiveoscincusNiveoscincus is a genus of skinks , commonly called Snow Skinks or Cool-skinks and residing mainly in Tasmania or Victoria, Australia. It belongs to a clade with the genera Carlia, Lampropholis and possibly others of the Eugongylus group. For similar skinks see genera Pseudemoia, Lampropholis, and...
– snow skinks, "cool-skins" - OligosomaOligosomaOligosoma is a genus of small to medium-sized skinks . It is found only in New Zealand and in the Norfolk and Lord Howe groups...
Mabuya group
Mabuya
Mabuya is a genus of long-tailed skinks nowadays restricted to species from the Americas. The American mabuyas are primarily carnivorous, though many are omnivorous. Formerly, many Old World species were placed here, as Mabuya was a kind of "wastebasket taxon"...
– American mabuyas
Sphenomorphus group
- AnomalopusAnomalopusAnomalopus is the genus of worm-skinks, smallish smooth-scaled burrowing skinks from the eastern half of Australia...
– worm-skinks - CtenotusCtenotusCtenotus is a genus of skinks . It belongs to a clade in the Sphenomorphus group which contains such genera as Anomalopus and the close relatives Eulamprus and Gnypetoscincus....
– comb-eared skinks - EulamprusEulamprusEulamprus, the water skinks, are a genus of skinks in the subfamily Lygosominae. It belongs to a clade in the Sphenomorphus group that contains such genera as Ctenotus and Anomalopus...
– water skinks - GnypetoscincusGnypetoscincusGnypetoscincus is a monotypic genus of skinks . It contains a single species, the Prickly Skink, ....
– Prickly Skink - LipiniaLipiniaThe lipinias are skinks . They belong to the Sphenomorphus group of genera in which Lipinia has a rather basal position .-Species:*Lipinia auriculata*Lipinia cheesmanae...
– lipinias - SphenomorphusSphenomorphusThe genus Sphenomorphus – vernacularly known as the common skinks – currently serves as a "wastebin taxon" for a large number of skinks...
– common skinks (paraphyletic)
Undetermined
- ApterygodonApterygodonApterygodon is a genus of skinks.-Classification:Genus Apterygodon*Apterygodon vittatum - Striped Tree Skink, Borneo...
(disputed) - ChioniniaChioniniaThe skink genus Chioninia belongs to the subfamily Lygosominae. For long, this genus was included in the "wastebin taxon" Mabuya; it contains the Cape Verde mabuyas.-Description:...
– Cape Verde mabuyas - EremiascincusEremiascincus-Classification:Genus Eremiascincus*Eremiascincus fasciolatus*Eremiascincus richardsonii...
- EutropisEutropisThe skink genus Eutropis belongs to the subfamily Lygosominae. For long, this genus was included in the "wastebin taxon" Mabuya; it contains the Asian mabuyas...
– Asian mabuyas (formerly in Mabuya; Mabuya group?) - GlaphyromorphusGlaphyromorphusGlaphyromorphus is a genus of the Skink family .-Classification:Genus Glaphyromorphus*Glaphyromorphus antoniorum*Glaphyromorphus brongersmai*Glaphyromorphus butlerorum*Glaphyromorphus clandestinus...
- HemisphaeriodonHemisphaeriodonPink-tongued skinks are the genus Hemisphaeriodon, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family . They are called commonly pink-tongued lizards in Australia, where true lizards do not naturally occur...
– pink-tongued skinks - LamprolepisLamprolepisLamprolepis, the emerald skinks, are a genus of skinks in the subfamily Lygosominae.* Lamprolepis leucosticta* Lamprolepis nieuwenhuisi* Lamprolepis smaragdina – Emerald Tree Skink, "green tree skink"* Lamprolepis vyneri...
– tree skinks - LeristaLeristaLerista is a diverse genus of skink endemic to Australia which is especially notable for the variation in the amount of limb reduction . The variation ranges from short-bodied forms with large legs bearing five toes, to elongate forms completely lacking legs. The body length of the lizards ranges...
- LobuliaLobuliaThe skink genus Lobulia belongs to the subfamily Lygosominae.Species include:* Lobulia brongersmai* Lobulia elegans* Lobulia elegantoides...
- LygosomaLygosomaWrithing skinks, genus Lygosoma, are members of the lizard family Scincidae, where they form the type genus of the subfamily Lygosominae. They are primarily found in India, but some occur in nearby regions...
– writhing skinks - SaproscincusSaproscincusSaproscincus is a genus of skinks native to Australia, sometimes referred to as shade skinks.-Classification:*Pale-lipped Shade Skink, Saproscincus basiliscus...
– shade skinks - ScincellaScincellaScincella is a genus of lizards in the skink family, Scincidae, commonly referred to as ground skinks. The exact number of species in the genus is unclear, as taxonomic reclassification is ongoing, and sources vary widely...
– ground skinks - TrachylepisTrachylepisTrachylepis is a skink genus in the subfamily Lygosominae found mainly in Africa. Its members were formerly included in the "wastebin taxon" Mabuya, and for some time in Euprepis. As defined today, Trachylepis contains the clade of Afro-Malagasy mabuyas. The genus also contains a species from the...
– Afro-Malagasy mabuyas (formerly in Mabuya; Mabuya group?) - TribolonotusTribolonotusThe crocodile skinks are squamates of the genus Tribolonotus. They include the following species:* Tribolonotus annectens* Tribolonotus blanchardi* Tribolonotus brongersmai...
– crocodile skinks (Egernia group?)
"Hinulia" elegans, described by Grey in 1838, is unidentified, but may be Eulamprus tenuis.