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Pamelaescincus
Gardiner's burrowing skink (''Pamelaescincus gardineri'') is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. ''P. gardineri'' is the only species in the (monotypic) skink genus ''Pamelaescincus''. Etymology The generic name, ''Pamelaescincus'', is in honor of Pamela, the older of Allen E. Greer's two sisters.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Genus ''Pamelaescincus'', p. 200; species ''P. gardineri'', p. 97). The specific name, ''gardineri'', is in honor of British zoologist John Stanley Gardiner. Taxonomy ''P. gardineri'' is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae, which seems to be paraphyletic. Probably quite close to ''Janetaescincus'', it belongs to a major clade that does not seem to include the type genus ''Scincus''. Thus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily. (2006). "Using ancient and recent DNA to explore ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Stanley Gardiner
John Stanley Gardiner (1872–1946) was a British zoologist. Biography Stanley, as he was known, was the younger son of John Jephson Gardiner and Sarah McTier. He was born in Jordanstown (Belfast) in 1872 – two years after his brother Arthur. Jephson was a member of the Anglican clergy and, at the time of his marriage to Sarah in 1868, was chaplain to Lord Dufferin at Carrickfergus (near Belfast). Stanley's mother died five months after he was born and in 1874, he and Arthur were taken by their father to England. They initially lived in Marshfield, Wiltshire, with Jephson having the position of Curate there. In 1876, Jephson and his two sons moved to Wonersh, near Guildford, Surrey. There Arthur and Stanley were pupils at a boarding school at 108 High Street, Guildford. Stanley attended Marlborough College from January 1885 until July 1890. While there "his critical thinking was shaped by the science masters and where he was a great supporter of the school's Natural History S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skink
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. Description Skinks look like lizards of the family Lacertidae (sometimes called ''true lizards''), but most species of skinks have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. Several genera (e.g., ''Typhlosaurus'') have no limbs at all. This is not true for all skinks, however, as some species such as the red-eyed crocodile skink have a head that is very distinguished from the body. These lizards also have legs that are relatively small proportional to their body size. Skinks' skulls are covered by substantial bony scales, usually matching up in shape and size, while overlapping. Other gen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janetaescincus
''Janetaescincus'' is a genus of burrowing skinks (family (biology), family Scincidae) endemism, endemic to the Seychelles. Etymology The Genus, generic name, ''Janetaescincus'', is in honor of Janet Greer, who is the younger of the two sisters of Australians, Australian Herpetology, herpetologist :fr:Allen Eddy Greer, Allen E. Greer. Taxonomy The genus ''Janetaescincus'' is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae, which seems to be paraphyletic however. Probably quite close to ''Pamelaescincus gardineri'', the genus ''Janetaescincus'' belongs to a major clade which does not seem to include the type (biology), type genus ''Scincus''. Thus, ''Janetaescincus'' will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily. (Austin & Arnold 2006) Species Two species are recognized as being valid."''Janetaescincus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. *''Janetaescincus braueri'' *''Janetaescincus veseyfitzgeraldi'' ''Nota bene'': A Binomial nomenclatu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scincinae
Scincinae is a subfamily of lizards. The subfamily contains 33 genera, and the genera contain a combined total of 284 species, commonly called skinks. The systematics is at times controversial. The group is probably paraphyletic. It is one of three subfamilies of the family Scincidae, the other two being Acontinae and Lygosominae. Genera The subfamily Scincinae contains the following 35 genera, of which seven are monotypic. *''Amphiglossus'' (2 species) *''Ateuchosaurus'' (2 species) *'' Barkudia'' (2 species) *'' Brachymeles'' (42 species) *''Brachyseps'' (8 species) *'' Chalcides'' (32 species) *'' Chalcidoceps'' (monotypic) *''Eumeces'' (6 species) *''Eurylepis'' (2 species) *'' Feylinia'' (6 species) *'' Flexiseps'' (15 species) *'' Gongylomorphus'' (monotypic) *'' Grandidierina'' (4 species) *''Hakaria'' (monotypic) *''Janetaescincus'' (2 species) *''Jarujinia'' (monotypic) *'' Madascincus'' (12 species) *'' Melanoseps'' (8 species) *''Mesoscincus'' (3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Habitat Destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby reducing biodiversity and species abundance. Habitat destruction is the leading cause of biodiversity loss. Fragmentation and loss of habitat have become one of the most important topics of research in ecology as they are major threats to the survival of endangered species. Activities such as harvesting natural resources, industrial production and urbanization are human contributions to habitat destruction. Pressure from agriculture is the principal human cause. Some others include mining, logging, trawling, and urban sprawl. Habitat destruction is currently considered the primary cause of species extinction worldwide. Environmental factors can contribute to habitat destruction more indirectly. Geological processes, climate change, introdu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually). It is distinct from scavenging on dead prey, though many predators also scavenge; it overlaps with herbivory, as seed predators and destructive frugivores are predators. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often concealed. When prey is detected, the predator assesses whether to attack it. This may involve ambush or pursuit predation, sometimes after stalking the prey. If the attack is successful, the predator kills the prey, removes any inedible parts like the shell or spines, and eats it. Predators are adapted and often highly specialized for hunting, with acute senses such as vision, hearing, or smell. Many predatory animals, both vertebrate and i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leaf Litter
Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent nutrients are added to the top layer of soil, commonly known as the litter layer or O horizon ("O" for "organic"). Litter is an important factor in ecosystem dynamics, as it is indicative of ecological productivity and may be useful in predicting regional nutrient cycling and soil fertility. Characteristics and variability Litterfall is characterized as fresh, undecomposed, and easily recognizable (by species and type) plant debris. This can be anything from leaves, cones, needles, twigs, bark, seeds/nuts, logs, or reproductive organs (e.g. the stamen of flowering plants). Items larger than 2 cm diameter are referred to as coarse litter, while anything smaller is referred to as fine litter or litter. The type of litterfall is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines a forest as, "Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds ''in situ''. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban use." Using this definition, '' Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020'' (FRA 2020) found that forests covered , or approximately 31 percent of the world's land area in 2020. Forests are the predominant terrestrial ecosystem of Earth, and are found around the globe. More than half of the world's forests are found in only five countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Russia, and the United States). The largest share of forests (45 percent) are in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ecological niche. Thus "habitat" is a species-specific term, fundamentally different from concepts such as environment or vegetation assemblages, for which the term "habitat-type" is more appropriate. The physical factors may include (for example): soil, moisture, range of temperature, and light intensity. Biotic factors will include the availability of food and the presence or absence of predators. Every species has particular habitat requirements, with habitat generalist species able to thrive in a wide array of environmental conditions while habitat specialist species requiring a very limited set of factors to survive. The habitat of a species is not necessarily found in a geographical area, it can be the interior ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago (administered by the United Kingdom as the British Indian Ocean Territory) to the east. It is the least populated sovereign African country, with an estimated 2020 population of 98,462. Seychelles was uninhabited prior to being encountered by Europeans in the 16th century. It faced competing French and British interests until coming under full British control in the late 18th century. Since proclaiming independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, it has developed from a largely agricultural society to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scincus
''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. Taxonomy ''Scincus'' is the type genus of the subfamily Scincinae. As the subfamily Scincinae appears to be paraphyletic and is in need of revision, it is as yet undetermined which skink genera are closely enough related to ''Scincus'' to be retained in the Scincinae. (Austin & Arnold 2006). Species The genus ''Scincus'' contains five species which are recognized as being valid."''Scincus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. *''Scincus albifasciatus'' *''Scincus conirostris'' – sandfish skink *''Scincus hemprichii'' *''Scincus mitranus'' – eastern sandfish or eastern skink *''Scincus scincus'' – common sandfish or common skink ''Nota bene'': A binomial auth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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