Skinks are

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 altho ...

s belonging to the

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

Scincidae, a family in the

infraorder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described

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 appropriat ...

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 The Lacertidae are the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found i ...

(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 genera, such as '' Neoseps'', have reduced limbs and fewer than five toes ( digits) on each foot. In such species, their locomotion resembles that of

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more ...

s more than that of lizards with well-developed limbs. As a general rule, the longer the digits, the more arboreal the species is likely to be. A biological ratio can determine the ecological niche of a given skink species. The Scincidae ecological niche index (SENI) is a ratio based on anterior foot length at the junction of the ulna/radius-carpal bones to the longest digit divided by the snout-to-vent length. Most species of skinks have long, tapering tails they can shed if predators grab onto them. Such species generally can regenerate the lost part of a tail, though imperfectly. A lost tail can grow back within around three to four months. Species with stumpy tails have no special regenerative abilities. Some species of skinks are quite small; '' Scincella lateralis'' typically ranges from , more than half of which is the tail. Most skinks, though, are medium-sized, with snout-to-vent lengths around , although some grow larger; the Solomon Islands skink (''Corucia zebrata'') is the largest known extant species and may attain a snout-to-vent length of some . Skinks can often hide easily in their habitat because of their protective colouring (camouflage).

Blood color

Skinks in the genus ''

Prasinohaema ''Prasinohaema'' (Greek: "green blood") is a genus of skinks characterized by having green blood. This condition is caused by an excess buildup of the bile pigment biliverdin. ''Prasinohaema'' species have plasma biliverdin concentrations appr ...

'' have green blood because of a buildup of the waste product

biliverdin Biliverdin ( latin for green bile) is a green tetrapyrrolic bile pigment, and is a product of heme catabolism.Boron W, Boulpaep E. Medical Physiology: a cellular and molecular approach, 2005. 984-986. Elsevier Saunders, United States. It is the ...

History

The word "skink", which entered the English language around 1580–90, comes from

classical Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...

''skinkos'' and Latin ''scincus'', names that referred to various specific lizards. Skink-like lizards first appear in the

fossil record A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

about 140 million years ago, during the early

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

, mostly in the form of jawbones that appear very skink-like. Definitive skink fossils appear later, during the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

period. Skink genera known from fossils include the following:

Behavior

A trait apparent in many species of skink is digging and burrowing. Many spend their time underground where they are mostly safe from predators, sometimes even digging out tunnels for easy navigation. They also use their tongues to sniff the air and track their prey. When they encounter their prey, they chase it down until they corner it or manage to land a bite and then swallow it whole. They can be voracious hunters.

Diet

Skinks are generally

carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other ...

and in particular

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

. Typical prey include

flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced m ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s, and

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sy ...

s. Various species also eat

earthworm An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. T ...

millipede Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a resu ...

centipede Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , " foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, ...

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class ...

slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a ...

isopod Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, and ...

s (

woodlice A woodlouse (plural woodlice) is an isopod crustacean from the polyphyleticThe current consensus is that Oniscidea is actually triphyletic suborder Oniscidea within the order Isopoda. They get their name from often being found in old wood ...

etc), moths, small lizards (including

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos a ...

s), and small

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

s. Some species, particularly those favored as home pets, are

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...

and have more varied diets and can be maintained on a regimen of roughly 60% vegetables/leaves/fruit and 40% meat (insects and rodents). Both species of the Genus Tristiidon are mainly frugivorous, but occasionally eat moss and insects.

Breeding

Although most species of skinks are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and m ...

, laying eggs in clutches, some 45% of skink species are

viviparous Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the ...

in one sense or another. Many species are ovoviviparous, the young (skinklets) developing lecithotrophically in eggs that hatch inside the mother's reproductive tract, and emerging as live births. In some genera, however, such as '' Tiliqua'' and '' Corucia'', the young developing in the reproductive tract derive their nourishment from a mammal-like

placenta The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mate ...

attached to the female – unambiguous examples of viviparous

matrotrophy Matrotrophy is a form of maternal care during organism development, associated with live birth (viviparity), in which the embryo of an animal or flowering plant is supplied with additional nutrition from the mother (e.g. through a placenta). This ...

. Furthermore, an example recently described in ''

Trachylepis ''Trachylepis'' is a skink genus in the subfamily Mabuyinae found mainly in Africa. Its members were formerly included in the " wastebin taxon" ''Mabuya'', and for some time in ''Euprepis''. As defined today, ''Trachylepis'' contains the clade ...

ivensi'' is the most extreme to date: a purely reptilian placenta directly comparable in structure and function, to a

eutheria Eutheria (; from Greek , 'good, right' and , 'beast'; ) is the clade consisting of all therian mammals that are more closely related to placentals than to marsupials. Eutherians are distinguished from noneutherians by various phenotypic tra ...

n placenta. Clearly, such vivipary repeatedly has developed independently in the evolutionary history of the Scincidae and the different examples are not ancestral to the others. In particular, placental development of whatever degree in lizards is

phylogenetically In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups ...

analogous, rather than homologous, to functionally similar processes in mammals.

Nesting

Skinks typically seek out environments protected from the elements, such as thick foliage, underneath man-made structures, and ground-level buildings such as garages and first-floor apartments. When two or more skinks are seen in a small area, it is typical to find a nest nearby. Skinks are considered to be territorial and often are seen standing in front of or "guarding" their nest area. If a nest is nearby, one can expect to see 10-30 lizards within the period of a month. In parts of the southern United States, nests are commonly found in houses and apartments, especially along the coast. The nest is where the skink lays its small white eggs, up to 4-8 at a time.

Habitat

Skinks are very specific in their habitat as some can depend on vegetation while others may depend on land and the soil. As a family, skinks are

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

; species occur in a variety of

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 ...

s worldwide, apart from

boreal Boreal may refer to: Climatology and geography *Boreal (age), the first climatic phase of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of northern Europe, during the Holocene epoch *Boreal climate, a climate characterized by long winters and short, cool to mild ...

and polar regions. Various species occur in ecosystems ranging from deserts and mountains to grasslands. Many species are good burrowers. More species are terrestrial or

fossorial A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees. Prehistoric evid ...

(burrowing) than

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose nu ...

(tree-climbing) or aquatic species. Some are "sand swimmers", especially the desert species, such as the mole skink or sand skink in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. Some use a very similar action in moving through grass tussocks. Most skinks are diurnal (day-active) and typically bask on rocks or logs during the day.

Predators

Raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

s, foxes,

possums Possum may refer to: Animals * Phalangeriformes, or possums, any of a number of arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi ** Common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula''), a common possum in Australian urban ...

coati Coatis, also known as coatimundis (), are members of the family Procyonidae in the genera ''Nasua'' and ''Nasuella''. They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. The name ...

crow A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

s, dogs,

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...

hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfa ...

s, and other predators of small land vertebrates also prey on various skinks. This can be troublesome, given the long gestation period for some skinks, making them an easy target to predators such as the

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...

, which often threaten the species to at least near extinction, such as the Anguilla Bank skink. Invasive rodents are a major threat to skinks that have been overlooked, especially tropical skinks. Skinks are also hunted for food by indigenous peoples in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...

, including by the

Kalam ''ʿIlm al-Kalām'' ( ar, عِلْم الكَلام, literally "science of discourse"), usually foreshortened to ''Kalām'' and sometimes called "Islamic scholastic theology" or "speculative theology", is the philosophical study of Islamic doc ...

people in the highlands of

Madang Province Madang is a province of Papua New Guinea. The province is on the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea and has many of the country's highest peaks, active volcanoes and its biggest mix of languages. The capital is the town of Madang. ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

.Bulmer, RNH (1975)
Kalam Classification Of Reptiles And Fishes
''Journal of the Polynesian Society'' 84(3): 267–308.

Genetics

Genomic architecture

Despite making up 15% of reptiles, skinks have a relatively conserved chromosome number, between 11 and 16 pairs. Skink genomes are typically about 1.5Gb, approximately 1/2 the size of the human genome. The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink (''Cryptoblepharus egeriae'') was sequenced in 2022 and represents the first skink reference genome.

Sex determination systems

Skinks were long thought to have both genetic sex determination (GSD) and

temperature-dependent sex determination Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a type of environmental sex determination in which the temperatures experienced during embryonic/larval development determine the sex of the offspring. It is only observed in reptiles and teleost fish ...

(TSD). Despite having sex chromosomes that are not distinguishable with a microscope, all major skink lineages share an old XY system that is >80 million years old. This region is highly divergent and contains

chromosomal rearrangements A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

Genera

Many genera, ''

Mabuya ''Mabuya'' is a genus of long-tailed skinks restricted to species from various Caribbean islands. They are primarily carnivorous, though many are omnivorous. The genus is viviparous, having a highly evolved placenta that resembles that of eutheri ...

'' for example, are still insufficiently studied, and their

systematics Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic t ...

are at times controversial, see for example the

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

of the

western skink The western skink ''(Plestiodon skiltonianus)'' is a species of small, smooth- scaled lizard with relatively small limbs. It measures about 100 to 210 mm (about 4 to 8.25 inches) in total length (body + tail). It is one of seven species of ...

, ''Eumeces skiltonianus''. ''Mabuya'' in particular, is being split, many species being allocated to new genera such as ''

'', '' Chioninia'', and '' Eutropis''. Subfamily

Acontinae Acontinae is a subfamily of limbless skinks within the family Scincidae. Genera The subfamily Acontinae contains 2 genera. * '' Acontias'' (26 species) * ''Typhlosaurus ''Typhlosaurus'' is a genus of African lizards, one of a number of gene ...

(limbless skinks; 30 species in 2 genera) * ''

Acontias ''Acontias'' is a genus of limbless skinks, the lance skinks, (family Scincidae) in the African subfamily Acontinae.Branch 2004. Most are small animals, but the largest member of the genus is '' Acontias plumbeus'' at approximately snout-vent ...

'' (25 species) * '' Typhlosaurus'' (5 species) Subfamily Egerniinae (social skinks; 63 species in 9 genera) * ''

Bellatorias ''Bellatorias'' is a genus of skinks. Species are endemic to Australia. Species were previously placed in the genus '' Egernia''. Species The following 3 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Bella ...

'' (3 species) * '' Corucia'' (1 species) * '' Cyclodomorphus'' (9 species) * '' Egernia'' (17 species) * ''

Liopholis ''Liopholis'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. Species of the genus are found in the Australian region. They were previously placed in the genus ''Egernia''. Description ''Liopholis'' are smallish to largish-sized skinks. ...

'' (12 species) * ''

Lissolepis ''Lissolepis'' is a genus of mid-sized skinks (adult snout-vent length 100–130 mm) with a bulky angular body and small eyes. 20–28 rows of midbody scales; dorsal scales smooth. The nasal scale has a postnarial groove; the subocular scale ...

'' (2 species) * '' Tiliqua'' (7 species) * ''

Tribolonotus ''Tribolonotus'' is a genus of lizards, commonly known as crocodile skinks. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Tribolonotus'' are found in New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands. Species The genus includes the follow ...

'' (10 species) Subfamily Eugongylinae (eugongylid skinks; 455 species in 50 genera) * '' Ablepharus'' (18 species) * '' Acritoscincus'' (3 species) * '' Alpinoscincus'' (2 species) * '' Anepischetosia'' (1 species) * '' Austroablepharus'' (3 species) * '' Caesoris'' (1 species) * '' Caledoniscincus'' (14 species) * '' Carinascincus'' (8 species) * '' Carlia'' (46 species) * '' Celatiscincus'' (2 species) * '' Cophoscincopus'' (4 species) * ''

Cryptoblepharus ''Cryptoblepharus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus contains at least 53 species. Taxonomy The genus ''Cryptoblepharus'' was established in 1834 by the zoologist Arend Friedrich August Wiegmann. The type speci ...

'' (53 species) * ''

Emoia ''Emoia'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the subfamily Eugongylinae. The genus ''Emoia'' belongs to a group of genera mainly from the southwestern Pacific-Australian region. These small skinks are commonly known as emoias or skinks. Species ...

'' (78 species) * '' Epibator'' (3 species) * '' Eroticoscincus'' (1 species) * '' Eugongylus'' (5 species) * ''

Geomyersia ''Geomyersia'' is a small genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands.. www.reptile-database.org. Species and geographic ranges There are two species which are ...

'' (2 species) * '' Geoscincus'' (1 species) * '' Graciliscincus'' (1 species) * '' Harrisoniascincus'' (1 species) * '' Kanakysaurus'' (2 species) * '' Kuniesaurus'' (1 species) * '' Lacertaspis'' (5 species) * '' Lacertoides'' (1 specie) * '' Lampropholis'' (14 species) * ''

Leiolopisma ''Leiolopisma'' is a genus of skinks. Most species occur in the region of New Caledonia- New Zealand, and they are related to other genera from that general area, such as ''Emoia''; these and others form the '' Eugongylus'' group. One living ...

'' (4 species) * '' Leptosiaphos'' (18 species) * '' Liburnascincus'' (4 species) * '' Lioscincus'' (2 species) * '' Lobulia'' (8 species) * '' Lygisaurus'' (14 species) * '' Marmorosphax'' (5 species) * ''

Menetia ''Menetia'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The member species of the genus ''Menetia'' are endemic to Australia. They are ground-dwellers and live in open forests and open grasslands. Species The following six spec ...

'' (5 species) * '' Morethia'' (8 species) * '' Nannoscincus'' (12 species) * '' Nubeoscincus'' (2 species) * ''

Oligosoma ''Oligosoma'' is a genus of small to medium-sized skinks (family Scincidae) found only in New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. ''Oligosoma'' had previously been found to belong to the ''Eugongylus'' group of genera in the subfamily ...

'' (53 species) * '' Panaspis'' (21 species) * '' Phaeoscincus'' (2 species) * '' Phasmasaurus'' (2 species) * '' Phoboscincus'' (2 species) * '' Proablepharus'' (2 species) * ''

Pseudemoia ''Pseudemoia'' is a genus of skinks native to southeastern Australia. For similar skinks see genera '' Bassiana'', ''Lampropholis'', and '' Niveoscincus''. Reproduction At least in ''P. entrecasteauxii'', ''P. pagenstecheri'', and ''P. spenceri ...

'' (6 species) * ''

Pygmaeascincus ''Pygmaeascincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. All member species are endemic to Australia. Species The following three species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification ...

'' (3 species) * '' Saproscincus'' (12 species) * ''

Sigaloseps ''Sigaloseps'' is a genus of skinks which inhabit the moist, closed forest of southern New Caledonia. Conservation status There is some conservation concern for ''Sigaloseps'' because of mining activity taking place in the region. Species The ...

'' (6 species) * '' Simiscincus'' (1 species) * ''

Tachygia The Tonga ground skink (''Tachygyia microlepis'') is an extinct species of skink endemic to the island of Tonga. References SourcesThe Reptile Database Skinks Reptile extinctions since 1500 Extinct animals of Oceania Reptiles describe ...

'' (1 species) * '' Techmarscincus'' (1 species) * '' Tropidoscincus'' (3 species) Subfamily Lygosominae (lygosomid skinks; 56 species in 6 genera) * '' Haackgreerius'' (1 species) * '' Lamprolepis'' (3 species) * '' Lygosoma'' (16 species) * ''

Mochlus ''Mochlus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Africa. Description Skinks of the genus ''Mochlus'' are cylindrical in shape and robust. They get the common name "writhing skinks" from the side-to ...

'' (18 species) * ''

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 ...

'' (9 species) * '' Subdoluseps'' (8 species) Subfamily Mabuyinae (mabuyid skinks; 25 genera) * '' Alinea'' (2 species) * '' Aspronema'' (2 species) * '' Brasiliscincus'' (3 species) * '' Capitellum'' (3 species) * '' Chioninia'' (7 species) * ''

Copeoglossum ''Copeoglossum'' is a genus of skinks. They were previously placed in the genus ''Mabuya''. Species The following five species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Copeoglossum arajara'' (Reboucas-Spieker ...

'' (5 species) * '' Dasia'' (10 species) * '' Eumecia'' (2 species) * '' Eutropis'' (49 species) * '' Exila'' (1 species) * '' Heremites'' (3 species) * '' Lubuya'' (1 species) * ''

'' (9 species) * '' Manciola'' (1 species) * '' Maracaiba'' (2 species) * ''

Marisora ''Marisora'' is a genus of skinks. They are found in Mexico, Central America and some Caribbean islands. Species The following 13 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Marisora alliacea'' (Cope, ...

'' (13 species) * '' Notomabuya'' (1 species) * '' Otosaurus'' (1 species) * '' Panopa'' (2 species) * '' Psychosaura'' (2 species) * '' Spondylurus'' (17 species) * '' Toenayar'' (1 species) * ''

'' (87 species) * '' Varzea'' (2 species) * '' Vietnascincus'' (1 species) Subfamily Sphenomorphinae (sphenomorphid skinks; 591 species in 41 genera) * ''

Anomalopus ''Anomalopus'' is a genus of worm-skinks, smallish smooth-scaled burrowing lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the eastern half of Australia. The genus belongs to a clade in the ''Sphenomorphus'' group which contains such g ...

'' (4 species) * '' Calorodius'' (1 species) * '' Calyptotis'' (4 species) * '' Coeranoscincus'' (2 species) * '' Coggeria'' (1 species) * '' Concinnia'' (7 species) * ''

Ctenotus ''Ctenotus'' is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae). The genus belongs to a clade in the ''Sphenomorphus'' group which contains such genera as '' Anomalopus'' and the close relatives '' Eulamprus'' and '' Gnypetoscincus''. Lizards in the genu ...

'' (103 species) * '' Eremiascincus'' (15 species) * ''

Eulamprus ''Eulamprus'' is a genus of lizards, commonly known as water skinks, in the subfamily Sphenomorphinae of the family Scincidae. The genus is native to Australia. Taxonomy The genus ''Eulamprus'' belongs to a clade in the ''Sphenomorphus'' ...

'' (5 species) * '' Fojia'' (1 species) * ''

Glaphyromorphus ''Glaphyromorphus'' is a genus of lizards in the skink family ( Scincidae)."''Glaphyromorphus'' ". Wikispecies. species.wikimedia.org. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Glaphyromorphus'' are found in Australia and New Guinea.. www.re ...

'' (11 species) * '' Gnypetoscincus'' (1 species) * '' Hemiergis'' (7 species) * '' Insulasaurus'' (4 species) * '' Isopachys'' (4 species) * '' Kaestlea'' (5 species) * '' Lankascincus'' (10 species) * '' Larutia'' (9 species) * '' Leptoseps'' (2 species) * ''

Lerista ''Lerista'' is a diverse (~ 90 species) genus of skinks endemic to Australia, commonly known as sliders. The genus is especially notable for the variation in the amount of limb reduction. The variation ranges from short-bodied forms with la ...

'' (97 species) * ''

Lipinia ''Lipinia'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. Species in the genus ''Lipinia'' are commonly called lipinias. Taxonomy The genus ''Lipinia'' belongs to the '' Sphenomorphus'' group of genera in which ''Lipinia'' has a rathe ...

'' (28 species) * '' Nangura'' (1 species) * '' Notoscincus'' (2 species) * '' Ophioscincus'' (3 species) * '' Ornithuroscincus'' (9 species) * '' Orosaura'' (1 species) * '' Palaia'' (1 species) * '' Papuascincus'' (4 species) * '' Parvoscincus'' (24 species) * ''

Pinoyscincus ''Pinoyscincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. All species in the genus are endemic to the Philippines. Species in this genus were previously assigned to the genus ''Sphenomorphus''. Species The following five species, ...

'' (5 species) * '' Praeteropus'' (4 species) * ''

'' (5 species) * '' Protoblepharus'' (3 species) * ''

Ristella ''Ristella'' is a genus of skinks endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. They are commonly known as cat skinks because of their retractile claws. This genus can be instantly identified by the presence of only four fingers in forel ...

'' (4 species) * '' Saiphos'' (1 species) * ''

Scincella ''Scincella'' is a genus of lizards in the skink family, Scincidae, commonly referred to as ground skinks. The exact number of species in the genus is unclear, as taxonomic reclassification is ongoing, and sources vary widely. ''Scincella'' sp ...

'' (38 species) * '' Sepsiscus'' (1 species) * '' Silvascincus'' (2 species) * '' Sphenomorphus'' (113 species) * ''

Tropidophorus ''Tropidophorus'' is a genus of semiaquatic lizards in the skink family (Scincidae), found in Indochina, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. They are sometimes known as water skinks or waterside skinks.SeIUCN searchresults for ''Tropid ...

'' (29 species) * '' Tumbunascincus'' (1 species) * ''

Tytthoscincus ''Tytthoscincus'' is a genus of skinks. Originally defined to include a few species from the Philippines, the genus now includes many species from South-East Asia in general. Description ''Tytthoscincus'' are small skinks, usually less than in ...

'' (23 species) Subfamily

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 thr ...

(typical skinks; 294 species in 35 genera) * '' Amphiglossus'' (2 species) * '' Ateuchosaurus'' (2 species) * '' Barkudia'' (2 species) * ''

Brachymeles ''Brachymeles'' is a genus of skinks (lizards in the family Scincidae). The majority of the species within the genus are endemic to certain island ecosystems in the Philippines. In 2018, the Zoological Society of London through its EDGE of Existe ...

'' (42 species) * '' Brachyseps'' (8 species) * ''

Chalcides ''Chalcides'' is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae). It is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae (= Scincidae ''sensu'' Hedges 2014), a monophyletic clade of primarily African skinks. Species The following species are recognized as be ...

'' (32 species) * '' Chalcidoseps'' (1 species) * ''

Eumeces The genus ''Eumeces'' (family Scincidae) comprises four African to Middle-Eastern skink species. Systematics Recently two taxonomic revisions have been made regarding the 19th century genus ''Eumeces''. They both resulted in similar results; th ...

'' (6 species) * '' Eurylepis'' (2 species) * '' Feylinia'' (6 species) * ''

Flexiseps ''Flexiseps'' is a genus of skinks. They are all endemic to Madagascar. Some taxonomic authorities place the group in the genus Amphiglossus. Species The following 15 species, listed alphabetically by Specific name (zoology), specific name, are ...

'' (15 species) * '' Gongylomorphus'' (3 species) * '' Grandidierina'' (4 species) * '' Hakaria'' (1 species) * '' Janetaescincus'' (2 species) * '' Jarujinia'' (1 species) * '' Madascincus'' (12 species) * ''

Melanoseps ''Melanoseps'' is a genus of lizards, known Common name, commonly as limbless skinks, in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Species The following eight species are recognized as being v ...

'' (8 species) * '' Mesoscincus'' (3 species) * '' Nessia'' (9 species) * '' Ophiomorus'' (12 species) * '' Pamelaescincus'' (1 species) * '' Paracontias'' (14 species) * ''

Plestiodon ''Plestiodon'' is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae (skinks). The genus contains many species formerly classified under the genus ''Eumeces'', except those now placed in '' Mesoscincus''. They are secretive, agile animals with a cylin ...

'' (50 species) * '' Proscelotes'' (3 species) * '' Pseudoacontias'' (4 species) * '' Pygomeles'' (3 species) * ''

Scelotes ''Scelotes'' is a genus of small African skinks. Species The following 21 species are recognized as being valid. www.reptile-database.org *'' Scelotes anguinus'' (Boulenger, 1887) – Algoa dwarf burrowing skink, Boulenger's burrowing skink, *' ...

'' (22 species) * '' Scincopus'' (1 species) * ''

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 ''Scinc ...

'' (5 species) * ''

Scolecoseps ''Scolecoseps'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to East Africa. Species Genus ''Scolecoseps'' contains four species.. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Scolecoseps acontias'' – sandy limbless skink * ...

'' (4 species) * '' Sepsina'' (5 species) * '' Sepsophis'' (1 species) * '' Typhlacontias'' (7 species) * '' Voeltzkowia'' (3 species)

Gallery

Female Skink with Eggs.JPG, Female skink with eggs Indian Skink.jpg, Indian skink Skink found in Sri Lanka.jpg, Skink found in Sri Lanka Skink in Aussie.jpg, Skink in Australia Eastern blue-tongued lizard - Tiliqua scincoides scincoides - 7.jpg, Eastern blue-tongued lizard Lizard Albany.jpg,

Land mullet The land mullet (''Bellatorias major'') is one of the largest members of the skink family ( Scincidae). Description The species may reach total lengths of up to 60 cm (23.6 inches). They are uniform glossy black to brown, with a paler ring ...

- Albany, Western Australia

References

Sources

* De Vosjoli, Philippe (1993) ''Prehensile-Tailed Skinks''. Advanced Vivarium Systems. * Hedges, S. Blair and Caitlin E. Conn. 2012. A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae). Zootaxa 3288.

External links

Scincidae
a
The Reptile Database

Skink Gallery and Information

KingSnake.com (Wayback Machine) {{Authority control Taxa named by John Edward Gray Extant Paleocene first appearances