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Coal Skink
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Skinks are the most diverse group of lizards. They make up the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae (the "true" or wall lizards). Scincidae is the largest of the lizard families with about 1,200 species.
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Description
Skinks look roughly like true lizards, but most species have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. Several genera (e.g., Typhlosaurus) have no limbs at all, others, such as Neoseps, have only reduced limbs. Often, their way of moving resembles that of snakes more than that of other lizards. Skinks usually have long, tapering tails that can be shed and regenerated.
Most skinks are medium sized with a maximum length from the snout to the vent of some 12 cm, although there are a few that grow to larger sizes, such as the Corucia, which can reach 35 cm from snout to vent.
Diet
Skinks are generally carnivorous and largely eat insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. They also eat spiders, earthworms, snails, slugs, isopods, other lizards, and small mice. Some species, particularly those favored as home pets, have a more varied diet and can be maintained on a regimen of roughly 60% vegetables/leaves/fruit and 40% meat and meat products (cat or dog food). [1]
Habitat
Skinks occur worldwide. Some species are endangered.
Many species are good burrowers. There are more terrestrial or fossorial (burying) species than arboreal (tree-climbing) or aquatic species. Some are "sand swimmers", especially the desert species, such as the Mole skink in Florida. Most skinks are diurnal, so they are active during the day. They like to crawl out on rocks or logs to bask (soak up heat from the sun) during the day.
Breeding
During the breeding season, some types of skink will exhibit orange or red markings to indicate sexual maturity. About 55% of the skinks are oviparous, that is, they lay eggs in small clutches. The other 45% are ovoviviparous, giving birth to living offspring.
Predators
Raccoons, red foxes, opossums, snakes and hawks all prey on skinks.
Classification
Many large genera, Mabuya for example, are still insufficiently studied, and systematics is at times controversial, see e.g. the taxonomy of the Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus).
Family Scincidae
- Genus Ablepharus
Genus Acontias
Genus Acontophiops
Genus Afroablepharus
Genus Amphiglossus
Genus Androngo
Genus Anomalopus
Genus Apterygodon
Genus Asymblepharus
Genus Ateuchosaurus
Genus Barkudia
Genus Bartleia
Genus Bassiana
Genus Brachymeles
Genus Caledoniscincus
Genus Calyptotis
Genus Carlia
Genus Cautula
Genus Chabanaudia
Genus Chalcides
Genus Chalcidoseps
Genus Coeranoscincus
Genus Cophoscincopus
Genus Corucia
Genus Cryptoblepharus
Genus Cryptoscincus
Genus Ctenotus
Genus Cyclodina
Genus Cyclodomorphus
Genus Dasia
Genus Davewakeum
Genus Egernia
Genus Emoia
Genus Eremiascincus
Genus Eroticoscincus
Genus Eugongylus
Genus Eulamprus
Genus Eumeces
Genus Eumecia
Genus Euprepes
Genus Eurylepis
Genus Feylinia
Genus Fojia
Genus Geomyersia
Genus Geoscincus
Genus Glaphyromorphus
Genus Gnypetoscincus
Genus Gongylomorphus
Genus Gongylus
Genus Graciliscincus
Genus Haackgreerius
Genus Hemiergis: Earless Skinks (Australia)
Genus Hemisphaeriodon
Genus Isopachys
Genus Janetaescincus
Genus Lacertaspis
Genus Lacertoides
Genus Lacertus
Genus Lamprolepis
Genus Lampropholis; (Common Garden Skink)
Genus Lankascincus
Genus Larutia
Genus Leiolopisma
Genus Leptoseps
Genus Leptosiaphos
Genus Lerista
Genus Lioscincus
Genus Lipinia
Genus Lobulia
Genus Lubuya
Genus Lygisaurus
Genus Lygosoma
Genus Mabuya
Genus Macroscincus
Genus Marmorosphax
Genus Melanoseps
Genus Menetia
Genus Mesoscincus
Genus Mochlus
Genus Morethia
Genus Nangura
Genus Nannoscincus
Genus Neoseps
Genus Nessia
Genus Niveoscincus
Genus Notoscincus
Genus Novoeumeces
Genus Oligosoma
Genus Ophiomorus
Genus Ophioscincus
Genus Pamelaescincus
Genus Panaspis
Genus Papuascincus
Genus Parachalcides
Genus Paracontias
Genus Paralipinia
Genus Parvoscincus
Genus Phoboscincus
Genus Plestiodon
Genus Prasinohaema
Genus Proablepharus
Genus Proscelotes
Genus Pseudoacontias
Genus Pseudemoia
Genus Pygomeles
Genus Riopa
Genus Ristella
Genus Saiphos
Genus Saproscincus
Genus Scelotes
Genus Scincella
Genus Scincopus
Genus Scincus
Genus Scolecoseps
Genus Sepsina
Genus Sigaloseps
Genus Simiscincus
Genus Sphenomorphus
Genus Sphenops
Genus Tachygia
Genus Tiliqua; (Blue-tongued lizards)
Genus Trachydosaurus; the rugosus species is known as Shingle
Genus Tribolonotus
Genus Tropidophorus
Genus Tropidoscincus
Genus Typhlacontias
Genus Typhlosaurus
Genus Voeltzkowia
References
- ^ McLeod, Lianne. Keeping Blue Tongued Skinks as Pets. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
External links
- Description of Skinks at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.
- The Five-lined Skink
- The Lizards of Missouri
- Observations on Mating Behavior of the Solomon Island Skink
