Leiolopisma | |
---|---|
Leiolopisma telfairii | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Scincidae |
Subfamily: | Eugongylinae |
Genus: | Leiolopisma Duméril & Bibron, 1839 |
Species | |
see text | |
Synonyms | |
Didosaurus |
Leiolopisma 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. One living and two extinct taxa represent a clade endemic to the Mascarenes.(Austin & Arnold 2006)
Example species
The Mauritian giant skink (Leiolopisma mauritiana) and the Réunion giant skink (Leiolopisma ceciliae) were closely related. These two were formerly separated in Didosaurus. David Day (1979), in Vanished Species, described the Reunion giant skink as small and fast moving but completely unafraid of humans. Individuals would climb on observer's legs. Efforts to maintain the species in captivity proved futile. The Reunion giant skink was reported to be completely insectivorous.
Pygomeles trivittatus is a skink in the. It appeared to be nested within the monotypic genus Androngo, but this species more recently was found to be more closely related to Pygomeles.
Anomalopus is a genus of worm-skinks, smallish smooth-scaled burrowing lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the eastern half of Australia. The genus belongs to a clade in the Sphenomorphus group which contains such genera as Ctenotus and the close relatives Eulamprus and Gnypetoscincus.
Ateuchosaurus is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus contains only two species which are indigenous to East Asia and Southeast Asia.
Ctenotus is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Australia. The genus Ctenotus belongs to a clade in the Sphenomorphus group which contains such genera as Anomalopus and the close relatives Eulamprus and Gnypetoscincus.
Eugongylus is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Eugongylinae. It was previously recognised as namesake of the Eugonglyus group of genera within Lygosominae, where it occupied a quite basal position. Members of this genus are commonly called mastiff skinks or short-legged giant skinks.
Janetaescincus is a genus of burrowing skinks in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the Seychelles. There are two recognized species.
Lipinia is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. Species in the genus Lipinia are commonly called lipinias.
Scincus is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus contains four or five species, all of which are typical desert inhabitants, living in sandy and dune-like areas with a hot and dry climate. Species in the genus Scincus can be found from Arabia to the Sahara desert.
Blue-tongued skinks comprise the Australasian genus Tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues or blueys in Australia or panana in Indonesia. As suggested by these common names, a prominent characteristic of the genus is a large blue tongue that can be bared as bluff-warning to potential enemies. The type of predator/threat that is near will determine the intensity of colour present in the tongue. The tongue can also deform itself and produce a thick mucus in order to catch prey. They are relatively shy in comparison with other lizards, and also significantly slower due to their shorter legs.
The Mauritius sheldgoose, also known as the Mauritius shelduck, is an extinct species of sheldgoose that was endemic to the island of Mauritius. While geese were mentioned by visitors to Mauritius in the 17th century, few details were provided by these accounts. In 1893, a carpometacarpus wing-bone and a pelvis from the Mare aux Songes swamp were used to name a new species of comb duck, Sarcidiornis mauritianus. These bones were connected to the contemporary accounts of geese and later determined to belong to a species related to the Egyptian goose and placed in the sheldgoose genus Alopochen. The Mauritius and Réunion sheldgoose may have descended from Egyptian geese that colonised the Mascarene islands.
The Réunion swamphen, also known as the Réunion gallinule or oiseau bleu, is a hypothetical extinct species of rail that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Réunion. While only known from 17th- and 18th-century accounts by visitors to the island, it was scientifically named in 1848, based on the 1674 account by Sieur Dubois. A considerable literature was subsequently devoted to its possible affinities, with current researchers agreeing it was derived from the swamphen genus Porphyrio. It has been considered mysterious and enigmatic due to the lack of any physical evidence of its existence.
Leiolopisma telfairii, also known commonly as the Round Island ground skink, the Round Island skink, and Telfair's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Round Island, one of the islands of Mauritius.
The Mauritian giant skink is a large, extinct species of skink It was found only in Mauritius. It became extinct sometime in the 17th century, likely due to human-introduced predators.
Cylindraspis is a genus of recently extinct giant tortoises. All of its species lived in the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean and all are now extinct due to hunting and introduction of non-native predators.
The wildlife of Réunion is composed of its flora, fauna and funga. Being a small island, it only has nine native species of mammals, but ninety-one species of birds.
Lygosominae is the largest subfamily of skinks 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.
Egerniinae is the subfamily of social skinks within the family Scincidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously found to belong the Egernia group in the large subfamily Lygosominae.
Mabuyinae is a subfamily of lizards, commonly known as skinks, within the family Scincidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously found to belong the Mabuya group in the large subfamily Lygosominae.
Leiolopisma ceciliae, also known as the Réunion giant skink, was a species of skink found on Réunion. The species is classified as extinct.