| Eremiascincus richardsonii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Eremiascincus |
| Species: | E. richardsonii |
| Binomial name | |
| Eremiascincus richardsonii (Gray, 1845) | |
The broad-banded sand-swimmer or Richardson's skink (Eremiascincus richardsonii) is a species of skink found in Australia. [2]
The Eremiascincus genus was created under the Sphenomorphus Group due to having such distinct differences and morphological adaptions over other skinks in the genus, even though they look similar. [3] These skinks possess traits that are unique to those other skinks in this category. [3] The Broad Banded Sand Swimmer was derived and named after John Richardson, who was a Scottish Naturalist. [4]
This skink has a snout to vent length of around 113mm as a maximum, however has an average SVL of 75mm. [5] This skink is a medium-sized skink [6] and the name corresponds well with the species for its ability to practically ‘swim’ over the sand to chase and catch its prey. [7] The tail length varies but is up to 171% longer than the SVL. [4] They are a very distinct skink in their looks, although are similar in many ways to the E. fasciolatus. The Broad Banded Sand-Swimmer can be identified based upon the pattern of the caudal bands that it possesses and the number of caudal bands it possesses to distinguish between other sand-swimmers [3] which can be seen in image 3. These skinks have between 19 and 32 bands on the tail, however the Narrow Banded possesses more (between 35 and 40). [5] On the nape, the broad banded possesses 8-14 bands that whereas the narrow-banded swimmer 10-19 narrow bands on its nape. [8] The bands on the body are much broader than those of the narrow banded, and they are generally less regular than the narrow banded. If the skink has lost its tail in the past, using the bands to distinguish the skink is unable to be used, as once the tail is regrown, it does not possess the caudal bands. [9] This skink possesses a snout that is less depressed than that of the E. fasciolatus. The colour of these skinks can be a pale brown to dark reddish colour, [5] with the young hatchlings having a bright yellow colour [10] and some of these variances can be seen in images 1 and 2. The scales of this skink are very shiny and has five toes on each of the animal's feet- both the forelimbs and hindlimbs. [5] Another way that the E.richardsonii can be identified, is through the parietal scales being in contact rather than being separated. [11] This is also a way to tell if the skink has a transparent lower eyelid as skinks with round eyes do not have this feature, however when they are hold an elliptical eye shape. [11]
This sand swimmer has a diet that can consists of a variety of different animals that live around them and can include such insects as grasshoppers, moths, beetles, termites, spiders and has been described on occasion to eat other small lizards. [12] This skinks also can eat fruit as part of its diet. [5] When the E.richardsonii is agitated by waiting to capture its prey, the tail waves in a “cat like fashion” and the E.Richardsonii forages over large distances and is an aggressive hunter. [13]
The E.richardsonii is commonly spread throughout arid regions of Australia and has been identified in a range of States around Australia that have desert skinks. This includes areas of Western Australia such as the Nullarbor Plain and the Tanami. [4] In New South Wales some of these locations include the North Far Western Plains right through to the Southern Far Western Plains and many arid areas in between, with some isolated occurrences in the Northern North Western Slopes of the state. [5] In the Northern Territory, distribution includes the Kimberly Desert and the Macdonnell Ranges, and within South Australia, this species can be found in the Simpson Desert and other arid regions. [14] These skinks are not known to be located or to inhabit arid areas of Victoria. [8] Although both species of the banded skinks inhabit sandy soils, the E.richardsonii can also be found on heavy and stony soils, not just limited to desert sands. [8] This reptile has also been found in deep crevices and caves due to the nocturnal life that it lives and also other dark areas such as rabbit holes. [3]
This species in the past was believed to carry its young which is known to be viviparous, however this was later found to be incorrect. Newer studies that have been conducted on this have proven that the E.richarsonii is actually oviparous which means it lays eggs. The skink commonly lays 4-5 eggs per clutch, however this did grow slightly with one of the studies finding that there was an increase in clutch size when the skink was larger. [9] This same study also explained that sexual maturity for the E.richardsonii was 69mm for females and 67mm for males.
Sand swimmers have colours that have adapted to be almost the same colour of the sand that surrounds them and have been described to look the same as the sand when either looking from above the skink or from the side. [15] They have also gained a transparent disk on their eyes that allows them to burrow into the sand without getting sand in them, which is known as a transparent lower lid as described previously. [11] This allows the skink to not get sand in its eye but still giving it the ability to see through this cover. The interesting part of the adaptions of this reptile, is that although they are a species that has adapted to desert environments, this species is actually less tolerant of heat and is more susceptible to dehydration along with heat stress than other reptiles that live within deserts around the world. [10]
E. richardsonii is a part of the Eremiascincus family, which has 15 different species. The Eremiascincus family are skinks that are nocturnal, fossorial and territorial skinks and the reason behind the name of this family of 'sand swimmers' is that they have the interesting ability to evade predators and quickly burrow into the sand when they need to. [14]
This species is a thigmotherm, meaning that it primarily rely on heat exchange as the substrate for body temperature and they come out after dark where they reply on air temperature and patches of warm ground for this. [16]
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Skinks are characterized by their smaller legs in comparison to typical lizards and are found in different habitats except arctic and subarctic regions.
Eremiascincus is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Australia, Indonesia, and East Timor.
Ophiomorus tridactylus, commonly known as the three-toed snake skink, is a species of skink endemic to sandy desert areas of South Asia. It is also called the Indian sand-swimmer for its habit of moving just under the sand.
Scincomorpha is an infraorder and clade of lizards including skinks (Scincidae) and their close relatives. These include the living families Cordylidae, Gerrhosauridae, and Xantusiidae, as well as many extinct taxa. Other roughly equivalent terms include the suborder Scinciformata, or the superfamily Scincoidea, though different authors use these terms in a broader or more restricted usage relative to true skinks. They first appear in the fossil record about 170 million years ago, during the Jurassic period. The phylogeny below follows that of Alifanov in 2016.
Morethia boulengeri is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and Indonesia.
The Centralian blue-tongued skink or Centralian blue-tongue is a species of skink, occurring predominantly in the far north-west corner of New South Wales, Australia. It is one of six species belonging to the genus Tiliqua; the blue-tongued skinks and the shinglebacks.
The southern sandslider is a species of skink or Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and widespread across the continent, being most commonly found within sandy termite mounds. This is where they take safe refuge from the harsh Australian climate and various ground predators.
The wood mulch-slider or Mueller's three-toed lerista, is a species of lizard belonging to the extensive family Scincidae, a family containing over 1,500 species. The species is found in a diverse range of climates and habitats throughout Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Named after the German-born Australian naturalist Baron Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich Müller (1825–1896), the species has been the subject of much morphological and nomenclature debate.
Ctenotus pantherinus, commonly known as the Leopard Ctenotus, is a species of skink endemic to central and western Australia. It's conservation status is currently classified as Least Concern.
Brachyurophis fasciolatus is a species of snake from the family Elapidae, commonly named the narrow-banded shovel-nosed snake, or narrow-banded burrowing snake, and is a species endemic to Australia. Its common names reflect its shovel nose specialization, burrowing behaviour and banded body colour.
The desert egernia or unadorned desert-skink, desert skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The desert egernia is endemic to the continent of Australia, and is widespread, with populations recorded in all mainland states and territories except the Australian Capital Territory. The desert egernia is found in dry, desert areas with deep, uncompacted sandy/loamy soils and little significant vegetation cover.
Ctenotus brooksi, also known commonly as Brooks' wedge-snouted ctenotus, Wedgesnout ctenotus, and Sandhill ctenotus, is a species of skink, in the family Scincidae and genus Ctenotus. The species is endemic to Australia and found in semi-arid regions.
Leonhardi's ctenotus, Leonhardi's skink, or common desert ctenotus is a species of skink found in a range of arid and semi-arid regions throughout mainland Australia. The species was named after German anthropologist Moritz von Leonhardi in 1919 and belongs to the Ctenotus genus, one of the largest generas of lizards in Australia.
Eremiascincus antoniorum is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Timor in Indonesia.
Eremiascincus brongersmai, also known commonly as Brongersma's tree skink and the brown-sided bar-lipped skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the state of Western Australia.
Eremiascincus butlerorum is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sumba in Indonesia.
The narrow-banded sand-swimmer or thick-tailed skink is a species of skink found in Queensland in Australia.
The dwarf three-toed slider or wood mulch-slider is a species of skink found in Australia. Other common names for the species include timid slider and dwarf burrowing skink. The skink is a member of the Lerista genus which are confined to continental Australia and are mostly a burrowing species of skink. The genus consists of consists elongated, smooth-scaled, Fossorial lizards that are specialized for life in the upper soils and dry leaf litter through which they slide using Lateral undulation as a form of locomotive action, giving rise to their nickname as sliders. They normally emerge of a night-time to hunt for small Invertebrates such as ants, termites and insects. If disturbed, they dive immediately into any loose substrate to avoid predation, this behavior leaves behind a distinctive disrupted wavy track that often found on sandy flats or dunes, roads and tracks.
The yellow-tailed plain slider is a species of skink located primarily in the desert areas of South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales in Australia. This uncommon lizard can be identified by its bright yellow tail, and is usually found buried under loose soil, tree stumps and leaf litter.
