Niveoscincus

Niveoscincus
Niveoscincus metallicus, metallic skink, near Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia (paraphyletic)
(unranked): Sauria
Order: Squamata (paraphyletic)
Infraorder: Scincomorpha
Family: Scincidae
Subfamily: Lygosominae
Genus: Niveoscincus
Hutchinson, Donnellan, Baverstock, Krieg, Simms & Burgin, 1990
Species

8, see text

Niveoscincus is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae), commonly called snow skinks[1] or cool-skinks[2] and residing mainly in Tasmania or Victoria, Australia.[3] The genus Niveoscincus belongs to a clade with the genera Carlia, Lampropholis and possibly others of the Eugongylus group.[4] For similar skinks see genera Pseudemoia, Lampropholis, and Bassiana. These skinks have adapted to the cooler weather of southern Australia and particularly Tasmania, hence the common names.

Species

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Niveoscincus.
  1. Wilson S, Swan G. 2003. A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Second edition. Sydney:New Holland Publ.
  2. Niveoscincus, Reptiles Database
  3. http://www.cyberlizard.org.uk/skinks_niveoscincus.htm Niveoscincus
  4. Austin, J.J., & Arnold, E.N. (2006): Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39 (2): 503–511. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011 (HTML abstract)

Further reading

Cogger, H.G. (2014) Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th Edition, CSIRO Publishing has rejected the use of the Junior name Niveoscincus and recognizes the valid Senior generic name Carinascincus Wells and Wellington 1985 for the group.


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