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 mostly found in different habitats except arctic and subarctic regions.
Ctenotus is a genus of skinks. The genus belongs to a clade in the Sphenomorphus group which contains such genera as Anomalopus and the close relatives Eulamprus and Gnypetoscincus.
Egernia is a genus of skinks that occurs in Australia. These skinks are ecologically diverse omnivores that inhabit a wide range of habitats. However, in the loose delimitation the genus is not monophyletic but an evolutionary grade, as has long been suspected due to its lack of characteristic apomorphies.
Eremiascincus is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Australia, Indonesia, and East Timor.
Lerista is a diverse genus of skinks endemic to Australia, commonly known as sliders. The genus 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 is 33–103 millimetres (1.3–4.1 in). Their locomotion is linked to their body shape. The shorter skinks with prominent limbs travel on the surface; the longer skinks with reduced legs tend to burrow more. A phylogenetic tree of Lerista, derived from DNA analysis, reveals that limb loss has happened multiple times within this group. Limb loss has occurred relatively recently, in the past 3.6 million years or so.
Cunningham's spiny-tailed skink or Cunningham's skink is a species of large skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southeastern Australia.
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.
White's skink, also known commonly as White's rock skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Lissolepis is a genus of mid-sized skinks with a bulky angular body and small eyes. 20–28 rows of midbody scales; dorsal scales smooth. The nasal scale has a postnarial groove; the subocular scale row is complete. Eyelids similar in colour to the adjacent scales. They were previously placed in the genus Egernia.
Egernia stokesii is a gregarious species of lizard of the Scincidae family. This diurnal species is endemic to Australia, and is also known as the Gidgee skink, spiny-tailed skink, Stokes's skink and Stokes's egernia. The species forms stable, long-term social aggregations, much like the social groups seen in mammalian and avian species. This characteristic is rarely found in the Squamata order, but is widespread within the Australian subfamily of Egerniinae skinks. Populations of E. stokesii are widely distributed, but fragmented, and occur in semi-arid environments. There are three recognised subspecies. The conservation status for the species is listed as least concern, however, one subspecies is listed as endangered.
The tree-crevice skink or tree skink (Egernia striolata) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and is found in the states of Victoria, the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. E. striolata tend to live in crevices and cracks in hollow logs or rocks. They greatly prefer heterogeneous and structurally diverse habitats and their behavior changes depending on the habitat they live in.
The Black Rock Skink is a species of large skink native to Eastern and Southern Australia from central New South Wales to Grampians National Park in Victoria. A large, dark colored skink, up to 135 mm from snout to base of the tail, the Black Rock Skink is the first reptile discovered to have a "nuclear family" structure where the parents form a pair and care for their offspring for more than one year. The Black Rock Skink is a viviparous skink meaning females give birth to live offspring instead of laying eggs. They defend their home range and families against conspecifics for up to several years.
Lerista frosti is a smaller lizard species found in highlands of central Australia. The common name for the species is centralian slider.
The Snowy Mountains skink or guthega skink, alpine egernia is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to southeastern Australia.
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.
The Flinder's Ranges rock-skink or Centralian Ranges rock-skink is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to central Australia.
The montane rock-skink or mountain egernia, mountain skink is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to southeastern Australia.
Slater's desert skink, also known commonly as the Centralian Floodplains desert-skink, Slater's egernia, and Slater's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia. There are two recognized subspecies.
Pseudemoia baudini, also known commonly as Baudin's skink, Baudin's window-eyed skink, and the Bight Coast skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
