| Morethia boulengeri | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Morethia |
| Species: | M. boulengeri |
| Binomial name | |
| Morethia boulengeri (Ogilby, 1890) | |
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| Synonyms [2] | |
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Morethia boulengeri is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Common names for M. boulengeri include south-eastern Morethia skink, [2] Boulenger's snake-eyed skink, [3] Boulenger's Morethia, [3] and Boulenger's skink. [4]
The specific name, boulengeri, as well as three of the common names for this skink, are in honour of George Albert Boulenger, [3] a Belgian-born British herpetologist who described a wide range of reptile, amphibian, and fish species new to science.
The markings and colouration of M. boulengeri can vary significantly between individuals. In general, it is grey or brown in colour with darker-coloured flecks in a longitudinal pattern along the dorsal side of the lizard, while the ventral side is largely white. A thin white stripe also runs longitudinally from the mouth to the groin region on both sides. Above the white line is a thicker black stripe that borders the white stripes. [5] Juvenile lizards also have a distinctive red-orange tinge on the ventral side of the tail, which is a distinguishing feature of the genus Morethia. Boulenger's skink can grow to a total length (including tail) of 10 cm (3.9 in); however, on average it reaches only 8 cm (3.1 in) nose to tail tip, or 4.5–5 cm (1.8–2.0 in) snout-to-vent. [6] This species of skink also exhibits square-shaped supraciliary scales above the eye region.
M. boulengeri is endemic to Australia and can be found across the majority of the country, in at least part of every state and territory except Tasmania. [1] It is a generalist species that has the ability to inhabit a wide range of environments in semi-arid and arid zones. It survives in the leaf litter and dead fallen vegetation in dry sclerophyll forests, mallee, desert, scrublands, woodlands, and low shrublands ecosystems. [5] It is found in high numbers in the Murray catchment area, in southern New South Wales. Sometimes the density of M. boulengeri is as high as several hundred individuals in one hectare of land. [7]
M. boulengeri is an insectivorous species, like the majority of skinks, which means the diet of this species consist almost exclusively of insects. It eats predominately arthropod species and snails, with moths making up a large portion of its diet. [8] Spiders, beetles, ants, cockroaches, and other bugs are also a part of the diet. All of these prey species are abundant within Australia and in the leaf litter habitat that M. boulengeri occupies.
M. boulengeri mates in the warmer months in spring and summer. [9] During this time the throat of the male skink turns vibrant orange in correspondence with increased testicle size, indicating to the female that the male is fertile and available for mating. [10] This species of skink is oviparous, which is a method of reproduction in which the female lays eggs. A female M. boulengeri generally reaches sexual maturity and begins breeding within the first year of life. On average, three eggs are laid per clutch, and a female produces approximately three clutches per year. [11] The clutch is incubated for approximately 60 days before the eggs hatch. During this time the rate of oxygen consumption dramatically increases. [12]
Ablepharus is a genus of skinks that contains the common snake-eyed skinks. Both their scientific and common names refer to the fact that their eyelids have fused to a translucent capsule; as in snakes, they thus are physically incapable of blinking. They are small lizards and prefer to live in the leaf litter of dry fields and hills. Their scales give them a very shiny, bronze appearance with a characteristically dark stripe down the sides of their bodies. They prey on small insects and other small mollusks.
The Solomon Islands skink, also known as prehensile-tailed skink, monkey-tailed skink, giant skink, zebra skink, and monkey skink, is an arboreal species of skink endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is the largest known extant species of skink.
Morethia is a skink genus of the order Squamata, commonly called Morethia skinks or firetail skinks, found in Australia.
The (American) five-lined skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to North America. It is one of the most common lizards in the eastern U.S. and one of the seven native species of lizards in Canada.
George Albert Boulenger was a Belgian-British zoologist who described and gave scientific names to over 2,000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Boulenger was also an active botanist during the last 30 years of his life, especially in the study of roses.
The bronze grass skink, bronze mabuya or speckled forest skink, is a species of skink found in South and Southeast Asia. It is a common, but shy, ground-dwelling species that is active both day and night.
Eulamprus quoyii, more commonly known as the eastern water skink, eastern water-skink, or golden water skink, is a viviparous species of diurnal skink. Eulamprus quoyii belongs to the family Scincidae and is considered a common garden animal in Australia. The skink is endemic to Australia and found only along the east coast of the country. It makes its home in creekside habitats along the east coast of Australia and in urban garden areas with high amounts of moisture. The species can be identified by the twin, long yellow stripes that run along its body from the top of the eye, as well as by several more specific character derived states. The pale yellow dorsolateral stripes are most likely where its common name, the golden water skink, is derived. Like other ectotherms, the skink can often be seen basking in the sun on rocky outcroppings in order to regulate its body temperature. Its diet mainly consists of both aquatic and terrestrial insects, tadpoles and small amounts of plant matter. The skink both hunts for food and scavenges when necessary and is considered an opportunistic feeder. It is prey to larger lizards, snakes, cats and birds and so will often be seen moving quickly into hiding when other organisms are present.
Richard Sternfeld was a German-Jewish herpetologist, who was responsible for describing over forty species of amphibians and reptiles, particularly from Germany's African and Pacific colonies.
Lankascincus deignani, commonly known as Deignan's tree skink and the Deignan tree skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.
Diporiphora winneckei, also known commonly as the canegrass dragon, canegrass two-line dragon, blue-lined dragon, and Winnecke's two-pored dragon, is a species of small, terrestrial, diurnal lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Australia. It is found throughout arid zones of Australia and is also a common house pet.
Cryptoblepharus egeriae, also known commonly as the blue-tailed shinning-skink, the Christmas Island blue-tailed shinning-skink, and the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae that was once endemic to Christmas Island. The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink was discovered in 1888. It was formerly the most abundant reptile on the island, and occurred in high numbers particularly near the human settlement. However, the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink began to decline sharply outwardly from the human settlement by the early 1990s, which coincided with the introduction of a predatory snake and the introduction of the yellow crazy ant in the mid-1980s. By 2006, the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink was on the endangered animals list, and by 2010 the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink was extinct in the wild. From 2009 to 2010, Parks Australia and Taronga Zoo started a captive breeding program, which has prevented total extinction of the species.
Ctenotus strauchii, also known commonly as the eastern barred wedge-snout ctenotus or Strauch's ctenotus, is a small species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and is found throughout semi-arid and arid regions in most of Australia's mainland states except Western Australia, although one record does exist for Western Australia in 1975.
The Mallee military dragon, also commonly known as the Mallee dragon and the Mallee sand-dragon, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to the arid parts of southern Australia.
The eastern hooded scaly-foot or eastern scaly-foot is a species of flap-footed lizard found in the complex heaths of the lower west coast and the spinifex grasslands of mainland Australia. They are popular pets and are often mistaken for snakes due to their limbless appearance.
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.
The saltbush Morethia skink, or more commonly referred to as saltbush skink, is a species of skink found in Australia. They are part of an 8 species genus of Morethia, which are all endemic to Australia. Akin to other members of the Morethia genus, saltbush skinks feature transparent disks as eye covers and eyelids which are stationary, along with specialised limbs which enable quick traversal of sand dunes. Taxonomically, the species was first classified by German explorer Wilhelm Karl Hartwig in 1871.
The shrubland Morethia skink is a species of skink endemic to Australia, of the family Scincidae, found in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria (Australia), Western Australia in Australia.
Ctenotus brooksi, also known commonly as Brooks' wedge-snouted ctenotus, the wedgesnout ctenotus, and the sandhill ctenotus, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and found in semi-arid regions.
Ctenotus leonhardii, known by the common names 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 genus Ctenotus, one of the largest genera of lizards in Australia.
Boulenger's short-legged skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.
