''Liopholis'' 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 ...

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. Ski ...

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 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.

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 ...

of the genus are found in the Australian region. They were previously placed in the genus ''

Egernia ''Egernia'' is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae) that occurs in Australia. These skinks are ecologically diverse omnivores that inhabit a wide range of habitats. However, in the loose delimitation (which incorporates about 30 species) the gen ...

''.

Description

''Liopholis'' are smallish to largish-sized skinks. They may attain an adult snout-vent length (SVL) of , with a bulky angular body. They have 34–52 rows of midbody scales; dorsal scales are usually smooth. The nasal scale has no postnarial groove; the subocular scale row is incomplete. The eyes are relatively large, and the eyelids usually have conspicuous cream-coloured margins.

Species

There are 12 recognized species: *''

Liopholis guthega The Snowy Mountains skink or guthega skink, alpine egernia (''Liopholis guthega'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geograph ...

Donnellan Donnellan is an Irish surname and refers to the clan name Ó Domhnalláin or O'Donnellan. At least two unrelated families of the name existed in Gaelic Ireland. One in south-east Ulster, another in south-east Connacht in the kingdom of Ui Mai ...

, Hutchinson,

Dempsey Dempsey is a surname of Irish origin. Background Dempsey is an anglicised form of Ó Díomasaigh, 'descendant of Díomasach'; this personal name is the Irish adjective ''díomasach'' 'proud'. The family originated in the Kingdom of Uí Failghe ...

Osborne Osborne may refer to: * Osborne (name) Places Australia * Osborne, South Australia (disambiguation), places associated with the suburb in the Adelaide metropolitan area * Osborne, New South Wales, a rural community in the Riverina region Can ...

, 2002 – Snowy Mountains skink, guthega skink, alpine egernia *''

Liopholis inornata The desert egernia, unadorned desert-skink or desert skink (''Liopholis inornata'') 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 record ...

'' ( Rosén, 1905) – desert egernia, unadorned desert-skink, "desert skink" *''

Liopholis kintorei The great desert skink (''Liopholis kintorei''), also known commonly as Kintore's egernia, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the western half of Australia. It is a burrowing lizard and extremely s ...

'' (

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

& Zietz, 1893) – Great Desert skink *''

Liopholis margaretae The Flinder's Ranges rock-skink or Centralian Ranges rock-skink (''Liopholis margaretae'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to central Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Au ...

'' (Storr, 1968) – Centralian Ranges rock-skink, Flinder's Ranges rock-skink *''

Liopholis modesta The Eastern Ranges rock-skink (''Liopholis modesta'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to eastern Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sover ...

'' (Storr, 1968) – Eastern Ranges rock-skink *''

Liopholis montana The montane rock-skink, mountain egernia or mountain skink (''Liopholis montana'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to southeastern Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Austr ...

'' Donnellan, Hutchinson, Dempsey & Osborne, 2002 – montane rock-skink, mountain egernia, "mountain skink" *''

Liopholis multiscutata The bull skink, southern sand-skink or heath skink (''Liopholis multiscutata'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to southern Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, i ...

'' (

Mitchell Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territo ...

& Behrndt, 1949) – bull skink, southern sand-skink, heath skink *''

Liopholis personata ''Liopholis personata'' is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to southern Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the ma ...

'' (Storr, 1968) *''

Liopholis pulchra The southwestern rock-skink, spectacled rock skink or Jurien Bay rock-skink (''Liopholis pulchra'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to southwestern Australia Australia, officially the Com ...

'' ( F. Werner, 1910) – southwestern rock-skink, spectacled rock skink, Jurien Bay rock-skink *'' Liopholis slateri'' (Storr, 1968) – Slater's desert skink, Centralian Floodplains desert-skink, Slater's egernia, Slater's skink *'' Liopholis striata'' ( Sternfeld, 1919) – night skink, nocturnal desert-skink, striated egernia *'' Liopholis whitii'' ( Lacépède, 1804) –

White's skink White's skink (''Liopholis whitii)'', also known commonly as White's rock skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Etymology The specific name, ''whitii'', is in honour of Irish surgeon and ...

, White's rock-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 ''Liopholis''.

Description

Species

References

Further reading