''Lankascincus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

s, commonly known as lanka skinks and tree skinks, in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Scincidae. The genus is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Species

The genus ''Lankascincus'' comprises nine

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. *'' Lankascincus deignani'' – Deignan's tree skink *''

Lankascincus dorsicatenatus ''Lankascincus dorsicatenatus'', also known as the catenated lankaskink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to island of Sri Lanka. Taxonomy ''L. dorsicatenus'' was originally placed in the “wasteb ...

'' *''

Lankascincus fallax ''Lankascincus fallax'', also known commonly as the common supple skink and Peters's tree skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී � ...

'' – Peters's tree skink *''

Lankascincus gansi ''Lankascincus gansi'', also commonly known as Gans's lankaskink and Gans's tree skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka. Etymology The specific name, ''gansi'', is in honor of ...

'' – Gans's tree skink, Gans's lankaskink *''

Lankascincus merrill ''Lankascincus merrill'', also known commonly as Merrill's lanka skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std ...

'' – Merrill's lanka skink *''

Lankascincus sameerai ''Lankascincus sameerai'', commonly known as Sameera's lanka skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka. (''Lankascincus sameerai'', new species, pp. 108–110).) Taxonomy ''L. samee ...

'' – Sameera's lanka skink *''

Lankascincus sripadensis ''Lankascincus sripadensis'', also commonly known as the Sripada forest skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī La ...

'' – Sripada forest skink *''

Lankascincus taprobanensis ''Lankascincus taprobanensis'', also known commonly as the Ceylon tree skink and the smooth Lanka skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka. Habitat and distribution The smooth Lan ...

'' – Ceylon tree skink *''

Lankascincus taylori ''Lankascincus taylori'', commonly known as Taylor's tree skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka. Etymology The specific name, ''taylori'', is in honor of American herpetologi ...

'' – Taylor's tree skink ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Lankascincus''.

References

External links

* Greer AE (1991). "''Lankascincus'', a New Genus of Scincid Lizards from Sri Lanka, with Descriptions of Three New Species". ''Journal of Herpetology'' 25 (1): 59–64. . * Batuwita S, Pethiyagoda R (2007). "Description of a new species of litter skink (Squamata: Scincidae: ''Lankascincus'')". ''Ceylon Journal of Science (Biological Sciences)'' 36 (2): 80–87. . (''Lankascincus greeri'', new species). Lizard genera Taxa named by Allen Eddy Greer {{Skink-stub