''Lygosoma'' 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 ...

lizards 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 althou ...

, commonly known as supple skinks or writhing skinks, which are members of 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. ''Lygosoma'' is the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...

of the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Lygosominae 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 s ...

. The common name, writhing skinks, refers to the way these stubby-legged animals move,

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

-like but more slowly and more awkwardly.

Geographic range

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 ''Lygosoma'' are found in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

to southeast Asia.

Taxonomy

In the late 19th and early 20th century, ''Lygosoma'' was used as a "

wastebin taxon Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...

", to which almost every newly described skink was assigned. Which specific species are contained within this genus is controversial because of its unresolved historic relation to two other closely-related genera: ''Mochlus'' and ''Lepidothyris.'' Currently, there are 16 known species in ''Lygosoma'', 15 known species in ''Mochlus'', and three known species in ''Lepidothyris''. However, some species under the latter two genera are often listed under ''Lygosoma'', and ''Lygosoma'' was recently found to be paraphyletic to the other two genera based on phylogenetic studies. To clear up this confusion, all species (49) pertaining to these three genera are classified as ''Lygosoma s.l.'' and the known 16 species under ''Lygosoma'' are classified as ''Lygosoma s.s.'''' After performing extensive phylogenetic analyses (genetic and molecular, species tree, and morphological anaylses), the classification of ''Lygosoma s.l.'' was further revised to containing four genera: ''Lygosoma'' (Southeast Asian Writhing Skinks), ''Mochlus'' (African Supple Skinks), ''Riopa'' (Asian Gracile Skinks), and ''Subdoluseps'' gen. nov. (Asian Agile Skinks). Genus ''Lygosoma s.s.'' was found to be separated into three clades instead of being a monophyletic group in relation to other genera within ''Lygosoma s.l.'', which in turn renamed this genus to ''Lygosoma'' and contains species that have ''Lygosoma quadrupes'' as their common ancestor. ''Mochlus'' was also found to be paraphyletic to ''Lepidothyris'', making it not a monophyletic group and ultimately grouping genera ''Mochlus'' and ''Lepidothyris'' as one genus, ''Mochlus''. ''

Riopa ''Riopa'' is a genus of skinks. It is easy to tell the species apart from most other skinks by bright red coloring on their sides from which they get their name. They also have a bule that runs down the side of their tail. Diet The riopas are o ...

'' was a recently discovered genus from about 11 years ago and was supported as a monophyletic group within ''Lygosoma s.l.'', and ''

Subdoluseps ''Subdoluseps'' is a genus of skinks. They were all previously found in the genus '' Lygosoma''. Species The following species are recognized as being valid. www.reptile-database.org. *''Subdoluseps bowringii'' ( Günther, 1864) – Christmas I ...

'' gen. nov. is also a newly added genus to this group.

Species

The following species are recognized. www.reptile-database.org. *''

Lygosoma angeli Angel's writhing skink (''Lygosoma angeli'') is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. Etymology The specific name, ''angeli'', is in honor of French herpetologist Fernand Angel. Beolens B, Watk ...

'' ( M.A. Smith, 1937) – Angel's writhing skink *''

Lygosoma bampfyldei ''Lygosoma bampfyldei'', commonly known as Bampfylde's supple skink or Bampfylde's writhing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Malaysia. Etymology The specific name, ''bampfyldei'', is in honor o ...

'' Bartlett, 1895 – Bampfylde's supple skink, Bampfylde's writhing skink *''

Lygosoma boehmei ''Lygosoma boehmei'' is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Vietnam. www.reptile-database.org. Etymology The specific name, ''boehmei'', is in honor of German herpetologist Wolfgang Böhme. Disc ...

'' Ziegler et al., 2007 *''

Lygosoma corpulentum The fat skink (''Lygosoma corpulentum'') is a species of skink found in Vietnam, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of th ...

'' M.A. Smith, 1921 – fat skink *''

Lygosoma haroldyoungi The banded supple skink (''Lygosoma haroldyoungi''), also known as Harold's writhing skink or Harold Young's supple skink, is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia. Etymology The specific name, ' ...

'' (Taylor, 1962) – banded supple skink, Harold's writhing skink, Harold Young's supple skink *''

Lygosoma isodactylum The Siamese writhing skink or even-toed supple skink (''Lygosoma isodactylum'') is a species of skink found in Cambodia and Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in ...

'' (Günther, 1864) – Siamese writhing skink, even-toed supple skink *''

Lygosoma kinabatanganense The Kinabatangan supple skink (''Lygosoma kinabatanganense'') is a species of skink found in Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territori ...

'' Grismer, Quah, Duzulkafly & Yambun, 2018 – Kinabatangan supple skink *''

Lygosoma koratense The Korat supple skink or Koraten writhing skink (''Lygosoma koratense'') is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, i ...

'' M.A. Smith, 1917 – Korat supple skink, Koraten writhing skink *''

Lygosoma opisthorhodum ''Lygosoma opisthorhodum'' is a species of skink found in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, ...

'' F. Werner, 1910 *''

Lygosoma peninsulare ''Lygosoma peninsulare'' is a species of skink found in Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and t ...

'' Grismer, Quah, Duzulkafly & Yambun, 2018 *''

Lygosoma quadrupes The short-limbed supple skink or Linnaeus's writhing skink (''Lygosoma quadrupes'') is a species of skink which is found widely in southern China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asi ...

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

, 1766) – short-limbed supple skink, Linnaeus's writhing skink *''

Lygosoma schneideri ''Lygosoma schneideri'', also known commonly as Schneider's writhing skink and the Sumatran supple skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Indonesia. Etymology The specific name, ''schneideri'', is ...

'' F. Werner, 1900 – Sumatran supple skink *'' Lygosoma siamense'' Siler, Heitz, Davis, Freitas, Aowphol, Termprayoon & Grismer, 2018 – Siamese supple skink *'' Lygosoma singha'' (Taylor, 1950) *'' Lygosoma tabonorum'' Heitz, Diesmos, Freitas, Ellsworth & Grismer, 2016 – Palawan supple skink *'' Lygosoma veunsaiense'' Geissler, Hartmann & Neang, 2012 ''

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 ''Lygosoma''.

Geographic range

Taxonomy

Species

References

Further reading