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 al ...

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 Scincomorpha is an infraorder and clade of lizards including skinks (Scincidae) and their close relatives. These include the living families Cordylidae (girdled lizards), Gerrhosauridae (plated lizards), and Xantusiidae (night lizards), as w ...

. With more than 1,500 described

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

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 ''Typhlosaurus'' is a genus of African lizards, one of a number of genera of limbless lizards in the skink family ( Scincidae). This group was recently revised with most species formerly attributed to ''Typhlosaurus'' now placed in '' Acontias''. ...

'') have no limbs at all. This is not true for all skinks, however, as some species such as the

red-eyed crocodile skink ''Tribolonotus gracilis'', commonly known as the red-eyed crocodile skink, is a species of skink that is sometimes kept as an exotic pet. The species is endemic to New Guinea, where it lives in a tropical rainforest habitat. It was first ...

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 The Florida sand skink (''Plestiodon reynoldsi'') is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae, the skinks. It is endemic to Florida in the United States. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new genus and new species by Leonhard Stej ...

'', have reduced limbs and fewer than five

toe Toes are the digits (fingers) of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being '' digitigrade''. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being '' plan ...

s (

digit Digit may refer to: Mathematics and science * Numerical digit, as used in mathematics or computer science ** Hindu-Arabic numerals, the most common modern representation of numerical digits * Digit (anatomy), the most distal part of a limb, such ...

s) 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 j ...

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 ''Scincella lateralis'', formerly Lygosoma laterale is a small species of skink found throughout much of the eastern half of the United States, and into northern Mexico. The ground skink differs from the majority of North American lizard species ...

'' 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 The Solomon Islands skink (''Corucia zebrata''), also known as prehensile-tailed skink, monkey-tailed skink, giant skink, zebra skink, and monkey skink, is an arboreal species of skink endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is the lar ...

(''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 peri ...

''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 recent" ...

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 (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwing ...

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 ...

s, grasshoppers,

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 larva, larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterfly, butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawfly ...

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. ...

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 re ...

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, an ...

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 G ...

s, slugs,

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, an ...

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 ar ...

s), and small

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), 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 roden ...

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), a ...

, 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 Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...

, the young (skinklets) developing lecithotrophically in eggs that hatch inside the mother's

reproductive tract The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are ...

, and emerging as live births. In some genera, however, such as '' Tiliqua'' and ''

Corucia The Solomon Islands skink (''Corucia zebrata''), also known as prehensile-tailed skink, monkey-tailed skink, giant skink, zebra skink, and monkey skink, is an arboreal species of skink endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is the lar ...

'', 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 (anatomy), organ that begins embryonic development, developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation (embryology), implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrien ...

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 ...

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 t ...

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 o ...

analogous Analogy (from Greek ''analogia'', "proportion", from ''ana-'' "upon, according to" lso "against", "anew"+ ''logos'' "ratio" lso "word, speech, reckoning" is a cognitive process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject (th ...

, rather than

homologous Homology may refer to: Sciences Biology *Homology (biology), any characteristic of biological organisms that is derived from a common ancestor *Sequence homology, biological homology between DNA, RNA, or protein sequences * Homologous chrom ...

, 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 e ...

(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 num ...

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

mole skink ''Plestiodon egregius'', the mole skink, is a species of small lizard endemic to the Southeastern United States. Taxonomy The species is subdivided into five subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies: *Florida Keys mole skink, ''P. e ...

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, a ...

. 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 o ...

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

es,

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 ...

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relativ ...

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 ...

, 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 Torr ...

, 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. D ...

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 fi ...

(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 euthe ...

'' 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 __NOTOC__ ''Chioninia'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the subfamily Lygosominae. For long, this genus was included in the "wastebin taxon" ''Mabuya''. The genus ''Chioninia'' contains the Cape Verde mabuyas. Description Species in the genus ...

'', and ''

Eutropis ''Eutropis'' is a genus of skinks belonging to the subfamily Mabuyinae. For long, this genus was included in the "wastebin taxon" ''Mabuya''; it contains the Asian mabuyas. They often share their habitat with the related common skinks (''Sphen ...

''. Subfamily

Acontinae Acontinae is a subfamily of limbless skinks within the family Scincidae. Genera The subfamily Acontinae contains 2 genera. * '' Acontias'' (26 species) * '' Typhlosaurus'' (5 species) References Tetrapod subfamilies {{skink-stub ...

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

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

'' (25 species) * ''

'' (5 species) Subfamily

Egerniinae Egerniinae is the subfamily of social skinks within the family Scincidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously found to belong the '' Egernia'' group in the large subfamily Lygosominae. Genera The subfamily Egerniinae contains 63 speci ...

(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: *'' Bellato ...

'' (3 species) * ''

'' (1 species) * ''

Cyclodomorphus ''Cyclodomorphus'' is a genus of small to medium-sized skinks (family Scincidae)."''Cyclodomorphus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. It belongs to the ''Egernia'' group which also includes the blue-tongued skinks (Austin & Arn ...

'' (9 species) * ''

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 g ...

'' (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 The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off t ...

'' (10 species) Subfamily

Eugongylinae Eugongylinae is a subfamily of skinks within the family Scincidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously found to belong the ''Eugongylus'' group in the large subfamily Lygosominae. Genera The subfamily Eugongylinae contains 469 species ...

(eugongylid skinks; 455 species in 50 genera) * ''

Ablepharus ''Ablepharus'' is a genus of skinks that contains the common snake-eyed skinks. Both their scientific and common names refer to the fact that their eyelids have fused to a translucent capsule; as in snakes, they thus are physically incapable of b ...

'' (18 species) * ''

Acritoscincus ''Acritoscincus'' is a genus of Australian skinks ( family Scincidae). It belongs to the '' Eugongylus'' group; the genus '' Oligosoma'' appears to be a fairly close relative. An alternative name is ''Bassiana''. Species *''Acritoscincus duperr ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Alpinoscincus ''Alpinoscincus'' is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Eugongylinae. The genus ''Alpinoscincus'' is endemic to New Guinea. Species There are 2 species: *''Alpinoscincus alpinus'' Greer, Allison & Cogger, 2005 *''Alpinoscincus subalpinus'' Gr ...

'' (2 species) * '' Anepischetosia'' (1 species) * ''

Austroablepharus ''Austroablepharus'' is a genus of skinks endemic to Australia. Species Three species are recognized. *'' Austroablepharus barrylyoni'' Couper et al., 2010 – Lyon's snake-eyed skink *'' Austroablepharus kinghorni'' ( Copland, 1947) – red-t ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Caesoris The blue-mouthed skink (''Caesoris novaecaledoniae'') is a skink in the ( family Scincidae). It is monotypic in the genus ''Caesoris''. It is endemic to New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Caledoniscincus ''Caledoniscincus'' is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae (skinks). The genus is endemic to New Caledonia. Species The following 14 species are recognized as being valid: *'' Caledoniscincus aquilonius'' - northern litter skink *'' C ...

'' (14 species) * ''

Carinascincus ''Carinascincus'' is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae), commonly called snow skinks or cool-skinks and residing mainly in Tasmania or Victoria, Australia. Then recognised as the genus ''Niveoscincus'', it was found to belong to a clade wit ...

'' (8 species) * ''

Carlia ''Carlia'' is a genus of skinks, commonly known as four-fingered skinks or rainbow skinks, in the subfamily Eugongylinae. Before being placed in this new subfamily, ''Carlia'' was recovered in a clade with the genera ''Niveoscincus'', ''Lampr ...

'' (46 species) * ''

Celatiscincus ''Celatiscincus'' is a genus of skinks. Both species are endemic to New Caledonia. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Celatiscincus euryotis'' (Werner, 1909) – souther ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Cophoscincopus ''Cophoscincopus'' (common name: keeled water skinks) is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to West Africa. As suggested by the common name, species in the genus ''Cophoscincopus'' are semi-aquatic. S ...

'' (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 sp ...

'' (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. Specie ...

'' (78 species) * ''

Epibator ''Epibator'' is a genus of skinks endemic to New Caledonia. Species The following 3 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Epibator greeri'' (Böhme, 1979) – Greer's tree skink *'' Epibator ins ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Eroticoscincus ''Eroticoscincus'' is a genus of 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 ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Eugongylus ''Eugongylus'' is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Eugongylinae. It was previously recognised as namesake of the ''Eugonglyus'' group of genera within Lygosominae, where it occupied a quite basal position. Members of this genus are commonly c ...

'' (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 recog ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Geoscincus ''Geoscincus'' is a monotypic genus of skinks: the only accepted species is ''Geoscincus haraldmeieri'' (Meier's skink). Etymology ''G. haraldmeieri'' is named after German herpetologist Harald Meier.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Mi ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Graciliscincus ''Graciliscincus'' is a lizard genus in the family Scincidae. The genus is indigenous to New Caledonia. Species and geographic range The genus ''Graciliscincus'' contains the single species ''Graciliscincus shonae'', known commonly as Sadlie ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Harrisoniascincus ''Harrisoniascincus zia'' is also known as the rainforest cool-skink or beech skink. It is monotypic in the genus ''Harrisoniascincus''. It is endemic to Australia. References Skinks Lizard genera Taxa named by Richard Walter Wells Taxa ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Kanakysaurus ''Kanakysaurus'' is a genus of skinks. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: They are endemic to New Caledonia. *''Kanakysaurus viviparus'' Sadlier, Whitaker, Bauer, & Smith, 2 ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Kuniesaurus ''Kuniesaurus albiauris'' is a species of skink endemic to New Caledonia. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Kuniesaurus''. It is only known from a small patch of dense coastal forest with limestone substrate on the Isle of Pines. ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Lacertaspis ''Lacertaspis'' is a genus of skinks endemic to Central Africa."''Lacertaspis'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Species The following five species are recognized. *'' Lacertaspis chriswildi'' ( Böhme & Schmitz, 1996) - Chri ...

'' (5 species) * '' Lacertoides'' (1 specie) * ''

Lampropholis ''Lampropholis'' is a genus of skinks, commonly known as sunskinks, in the lizard subfamily Eugongylinae of the family Scincidae. The genus ''Lampropholis'' was previously found to belong to a clade with the genera '' Niveoscincus'', ''Leio ...

'' (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 ''Leptosiaphos'' is a genus of skinks endemic to West Africa. Species The following 18 species are recognized:. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Leptosiaphos aloysiisabaudiae'' - Uganda five-toed skink *'' Leptosiaphos amieti'' - Cameroon five ...

'' (18 species) * ''

Liburnascincus ''Liburnascincus'' is a genus of skinks. All are endemic to Australia. Species The following 4 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Liburnascincus artemis'' Hoskin & Couper, 2015 *'' Liburnascin ...

'' (4 species) * ''

Lioscincus ''Lioscincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to New Caledonia. Species There are two species that are recognized as being valid. *''Lioscincus steindachneri'' – white-lipped forest skink, Steind ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Lobulia ''Lobulia'' is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Eugongylinae. The genus ''Lobulia'' is endemic to New Guinea. Species There are 7 species: *'' Lobulia brongersmai'' ( Zweifel, 1972) - Brongersma's lobulia *'' Lobulia elegans'' ( Boulenger, 18 ...

'' (8 species) * ''

Lygisaurus ''Lygisaurus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. Geographic range Species of ''Lygisaurus'' are found in Australia and New Guinea. Species The following 14 species are recognized as being valid.. www.rept ...

'' (14 species) * ''

Marmorosphax Marmorosphax, is a genus of skinks native to New Caledonia. Species Listed alphabetically by specific name.Menetia'' (5 species) * ''

Morethia ''Morethia'' is a skink genus of the order Squamata, commonly called Morethia skinks or firetail skinks, found in Australia. Species Listed alphabetically by specific name.Nannoscincus ''Nannoscincus'' is a genus of small skinks, lizards in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to New Caledonia. Species The following 12 species are recognized as being valid. *''Nannoscincus exos'' - northern ...

'' (12 species) * ''

Nubeoscincus ''Nubeoscincus'' is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Eugongylinae. The genus ''Nubeoscincus'' is endemic to New Guinea. Species There are 2 species: *'' Nubeoscincus glacialis'' Greer, Allison & Cogger, 2005 *'' Nubeoscincus stellaris'' G ...

'' (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 ''Panaspis'' is a genus of skinks, commonly called lidless skinks or snake-eyed skinks, endemic to Sub-saharan Africa. Species The following 21 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *''Panaspis africa ...

'' (21 species) * ''

Phaeoscincus ''Phaeoscincus'' is a genus of skinks. Both species are endemic to New Caledonia. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Phaeoscincus ouinensis'' Sadlier, Shea, & Bauer, 20 ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Phasmasaurus ''Phasmasaurus'' is a genus of skinks. Both species are endemic to New Caledonia. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Phasmasaurus maruia'' (Sadlier, Whitaker & Bauer, 19 ...

'' (2 species) * '' Phoboscincus'' (2 species) * ''

Proablepharus ''Proablepharus'' is a genus of lizards in the subfamily Eugongylinae of the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Australia. Species Two species are recognized as being valid. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Proablepharus reginae'' ( Glauer ...

'' (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, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Pygmaeascinc ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Saproscincus ''Saproscincus'' is a genus of skinks native to Australia, sometimes referred to as shadeskinks. It contains the following species: *''Saproscincus basiliscus'' (:fr:Glen Joseph Ingram, Ingram & Peter Alan Rawlinson, Rawlinson, 1981) - pale-lip ...

'' (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 Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelag ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Techmarscincus ''Techmarscincus'' is a genus of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Australia, and is monotypic, containing the sole species ''Techmarscincus jigurru''. ''Techmarscincus jigurru'', commonly known as the Bartle ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Tropidoscincus ''Tropidoscincus'' is a genus of skink. They are all endemic to New Caledonia. Classification *'' Tropidoscincus aubrianus'' Bocage, 1873 – Aubrey's whiptailed skink *'' Tropidoscincus boreus'' Sadlier & Bauer, 2000 – northern whiptailed ski ...

'' (3 species) Subfamily

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 ...

(lygosomid skinks; 56 species in 6 genera) * ''

Haackgreerius ''Haackgreerius'' is a genus of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. Etymology The generic name, ''Haackgreerius'', is in honor of South African herpetologist Wulf Dietrich Haacke and Australian herpetologist Allen E. Greer. Beolens B, W ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Lamprolepis ''Lamprolepis'' is a genus of lizards, known commonly as emerald skinks, in the subfamily Lygosominae of the family Scincidae. ''Lygosoma'' is its closest genetic relative.Charles W. Linkem, Rafe M. Brown, Cameron D. Siler, Ben J. Evans, Chri ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Lygosoma ''Lygosoma'' is a genus of lizards, commonly known as supple skinks or writhing skinks, which are members of the family Scincidae. ''Lygosoma'' is the type genus of the subfamily Lygosominae. The common name, writhing skinks, refers to the ...

'' (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-sid ...

'' (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 ''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 ...

'' (8 species) Subfamily

Mabuyinae Mabuyinae is a subfamily of skinks within the family Scincidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously found to belong the '' Mabuya'' group in the large subfamily Lygosominae. They have a pantropical distribution, being found througho ...

(mabuyid skinks; 25 genera) * '' Alinea'' (2 species) * ''

Aspronema ''Aspronema'' is a genus of skinks. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Aspronema cochabambae'' (Dunn, 1935) *'' Aspronema dorsivittatum'' (Cope, 1862) – Paraguay mabuya ...

'' (2 species) * ''

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

'' (3 species) * ''

Capitellum In human anatomy of the arm, the capitulum of the humerus is a smooth, rounded eminence on the lateral portion of the distal articular surface of the humerus. It articulates with the cupshaped depression on the head of the radius, and is limite ...

'' (3 species) * ''

'' (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 ''Eumecia'' is a genus of 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 ...

'' (2 species) * ''

'' (49 species) * '' Exila'' (1 species) * ''

Heremites ''Heremites'' is a genus of skinks. Species The following 3 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *''Heremites auratus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – levant skink, golden grass mabuya, golden grass skink *''He ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Lubuya ''Lubuya'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus contains one species, ''Lubuya ivensii'', known commonly as Ivens's skink, Ivens's water skink, or the meadow skink, which is endemic to Southern Africa. Etymology The ...

'' (1 species) * ''

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

Maracaiba ''Maracaiba'' is a genus of skinks. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Maracaiba meridensis'' () *'' Maracaiba zuliae'' () ''Nota bene'': A binomial authority In ...

'' (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, 1875 ...

'' (13 species) * '' Notomabuya'' (1 species) * ''

Otosaurus ''Otosaurus cumingii'', commonly called Cuming's sphenomorphus or the Luzon giant forest skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines. Etymology The specific name Specific name may r ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Panopa ''Panopa'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. Member species are found in Brazil and Venezuela. Species The following two species, listed alphabetically by Specific name (zoology), specific name, are recogni ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Psychosaura ''Psychosaura'' is a genus of skinks. Both species are endemic to Brazil. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Psychosaura agmosticha'' (Rodrigues, 2000) *'' Psychosaura ma ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Spondylurus ''Spondylurus'' is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus ''Spondylurus'', vernacularly known as the Antillean four-lined skinks, is a neotropical skink taxon including many species. Description Species in the genus ''Spondyluru ...

'' (17 species) * '' Toenayar'' (1 species) * ''

'' (87 species) * '' Varzea'' (2 species) * ''

Vietnascincus ''Vietnascincus'' is a genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species ...

'' (1 species) Subfamily

Sphenomorphinae Sphenomorphinae is a large subfamily of skinks, lizards within the family Scincidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously found to belong to the ''Sphenomorphus'' group in the large subfamily Lygosominae. Genera The subfamily Sphenomo ...

(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 ...

'' (4 species) * ''

Calorodius The Thornton Peak calyptotis or Thornton Peak skink (''Calorodius thorntonensis'') is a species of skink found in Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Calyptotis ''Calyptotis'' is a genus of skinks, a type of lizard, found in Australia. Species The following four species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversit ...

'' (4 species) * '' Coeranoscincus'' (2 species) * '' Coggeria'' (1 species) * ''

Concinnia ''Concinnia'' is a genus of skinks in the subfamily Lygosominae. Taxonomy and systematics The genus ''Concinnia'' belongs to the Australian Sphenomorphid clade that contains other genera such as ''Ctenotus'', ''Anomalopus'' and the ''Eulampru ...

'' (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 genus ...

'' (103 species) * ''

Eremiascincus ''Eremiascincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Australia, Indonesia, and East Timor. Species The genus contains the following 15 valid species, listed alphabetically by specific name.

'' (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 ''Fojia'' is a monotypic genus of 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 ...

'' (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.reptil ...

'' (11 species) * '' Gnypetoscincus'' (1 species) * '' Hemiergis'' (7 species) * ''

Insulasaurus ''Insulasaurus'' is a genus of skinks. They are all endemic to the Philippines. Species The following four species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Insulasaurus arborens'' (Taylor, 1917) *'' Insulasau ...

'' (4 species) * ''

Isopachys ''Isopachys'' is a genus of skinks endemic to Asia. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Isopachys'' are found in Thailand and Myanmar.. Species There are four species in this genus: *''Isopachys anguinoides'' - Thai snake skink, Heyer's i ...

'' (4 species) * ''

Kaestlea ''Kaestlea'' is a genus of skinks. These skinks are small, shiny, smooth-scaled species. They are diurnal, terrestrial and insectivorous. They lay eggs to reproduce. These skinks are identified by their distinct blue tail colour. They live in tr ...

'' (5 species) * ''

Lankascincus ''Lankascincus'' is a genus of lizards, commonly known as lanka skinks and tree skinks, in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Sri Lanka. Species The genus ''Lankascincus'' comprises nine species. *''Lankascincus deignani'' – De ...

'' (10 species) * ''

Larutia ''Larutia'' is a small 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 biol ...

'' (9 species) * ''

Leptoseps ''Leptoseps'' is a genus of rare skinks, 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 ...

'' (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 l ...

'' (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 ra ...

'' (28 species) * ''

Nangura ''Nangura spinosa'', the Nangur spiny skink or Nangur skink, is a lizard known from two patches of dry-rainforest in South East Queensland, Australia. It was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ''Nangura'' but was moved to '' Concinnia'' foll ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Notoscincus '' Notoscincus'' is a genus of skinks. They are commonly known as soil-crevice skinks or snake-eyed skinks. Species *'' Notoscincus butleri'' Storr, 1979 – lined soil-crevice skink *'' Notoscincus ornatus'' ( Broom, 1896) – ornate soil-cr ...

'' (2 species) * '' Ophioscincus'' (3 species) * ''

Ornithuroscincus ''Ornithuroscincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. All but one species are endemic to New Guinea: in addition to northern New Guinea, ''Ornithuroscincus noctua'' occurs on many Pacific islands. Taxonomy The genus '' ...

'' (9 species) * '' Orosaura'' (1 species) * '' Palaia'' (1 species) * ''

Papuascincus ''Papuascincus'' is a genus of skinks endemic to New Guinea."''Papuascincus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Species The following 4 species are recognized as being valid: *'' Papuascincus buergersi'' ( T. Vogt, 1932) *'' P ...

'' (4 species) * ''

Parvoscincus ''Parvoscincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the Philippines. Description Species in the genus ''Parvoscincus'' are small to moderately sized skinks; the maximum snout-vent length (SVL) ranges ...

'' (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 ''Praeteropus'' is a genus of worm-skinks, smallish smooth-scaled burrowing lizards in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to the eastern half of Australia. The genus belongs to a clade in the ''Sphenomorphus'' ...

'' (4 species) * ''

'' (5 species) * ''

Protoblepharus ''Protoblepharus'' is a genus of 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 o ...

'' (3 species) * '' Ristella'' (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'' ...

'' (38 species) * ''

Sepsiscus The Cape York worm-skink (''Sepsiscus pluto'') is a species of 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, ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Silvascincus ''Silvascincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. Both species in the genus are endemic to Australia. They were previously placed in the genus ''Eulamprus''. Species The following two species, listed alphabetically by sp ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Sphenomorphus The genus ''Sphenomorphus'' – vernacularly known as the common skinks – currently serves as a "wastebin taxon" for numerous skinks. While most or all species presently placed here are probably rather close relatives, the genus as pr ...

'' (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 ''Tropidophoru ...

'' (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 th ...

(typical skinks; 294 species in 35 genera) * ''

Amphiglossus ''Amphiglossus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Amphiglossus'' is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae, which seems to be paraphyletic, however. Probably quite close to '' Paracontias'' and p ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Ateuchosaurus ''Ateuchosaurus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus contains only two species which are indigenous to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Taxonomy The genus ''Ateuchosaurus'' is usually placed in the subfamily Scincin ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Barkudia ''Barkudia'' is a little-known genus of skinks endemic to India. These lizards are thought to be semi-fossorial, and living in coastal areas of the east coast of India. Almost nothing is known about the natural history of this genus, except for c ...

'' (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 ''Brachyseps'' is a genus of skinks. They are all endemic to Madagascar. Some taxonomic authorities place the group in the genus Amphiglossus. Species The following 8 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being val ...

'' (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 b ...

'' (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; the ...

'' (6 species) * ''

Eurylepis ''Eurylepis'' is a genus of skinks found in Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental la ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Feylinia ''Feylinia'' is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae). It is usually placed in the monotypic subfamily Feylininae. However, it appears to be not as distinct as formerly presumed, but rather somewhat closer to such genera as ''Chalcides'' and '' ...

'' (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, are recognized as being val ...

'' (15 species) * ''

Gongylomorphus ''Gongylomorphus'' is a genus of skinks found in Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southea ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Grandidierina ''Grandidierina'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar. Species The following four species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid. *'' Grandidierina fierinens ...

'' (4 species) * '' Hakaria'' (1 species) * ''

Janetaescincus ''Janetaescincus'' is a genus of burrowing skinks (family Scincidae) endemic to the Seychelles. Etymology The generic name, ''Janetaescincus'', is in honor of Janet Greer, who is the younger of the two sisters of Australian herpetologist Allen ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Jarujinia ''Jarujinia'' is a genus of 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 th ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Madascincus ''Madascincus'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar. Some taxonomic authorities place the group in the genus ''Amphiglossus''. Species The following 12 species, listed alphabetically by spe ...

'' (12 species) * ''

Melanoseps ''Melanoseps'' is a genus of lizards, known commonly as limbless skinks, in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Species The following eight species are recognized as being valid. *'' Melanoseps ater'' – black ...

'' (8 species) * '' Mesoscincus'' (3 species) * ''

Nessia ''Nessia'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to Sri Lanka. Species in the genus ''Nessia'' are commonly known as snake skinks. Species The following nine species are recognize ...

'' (9 species) * ''

Ophiomorus ''Ophiomorus'' is a genus of Old World skinks. www.reptile-database.org. The limbs are either reduced or absent, depending on the species. They are sometimes known as limbless skinks or snake skinks. Members of the genus live under rocks or in b ...

'' (12 species) * ''

Pamelaescincus Gardiner's burrowing skink (''Pamelaescincus gardineri'') is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. ''P. gardineri'' is the only species in the (monotypic) skink genus ''Pamelaescincus''. Etymology The generic name, ''Pamelaescincus'', ...

'' (1 species) * ''

Paracontias ''Paracontias'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family (biology), family Scincidae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to Madagascar. Taxonomy and systematics ''Paracontias'' is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae, which seems to be Para ...

'' (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 cyl ...

'' (50 species) * ''

Proscelotes ''Proscelotes'' is a genus of skinks. The genus is endemic to Africa."''Proscelotes'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Species The genus ''Proscelotes'' contains the following three species. *''Proscelotes aenea'' – montan ...

'' (3 species) * ''

Pseudoacontias ''Pseudoacontias'' is genus of skinks, lizards in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. Geographic range The genus ''Pseudoacontias'' is Endemism, endemic to Madagascar. Description All species of ''Pseudoacontias'' are large, fossorial skink ...

'' (4 species) * ''

Pygomeles ''Pygomeles'' is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar. Classification There are three species that are recognized as being valid. *'' Pygomeles braconnieri'' – Braconnier's short skink *'' Py ...

'' (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 sk ...

'' (4 species) * ''

Sepsina ''Sepsina'' is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae). The genus is endemic to southern Africa. Taxonomy This genus is presently placed in the subfamily Scincinae, a subfamily which seems to be paraphyletic however. ''Sepsina'' belongs to a ma ...

'' (5 species) * ''

Sepsophis The spotted Eastern Ghats skink (''Sepsophis punctatus'') is a species of skink. It endemic to India and known from its type locality in Andhra Pradesh (Darakondah, Golconda Hills, then Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presid ...

'' (1 species) * '' Typhlacontias'' (7 species) * ''

Voeltzkowia ''Voeltzkowia'' is a genus of skinks. Geographic range The genus ''Voeltzkowia'' is endemic to Madagascar. Species Three species are recognized as being valid."''Voeltzkowia'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Voeltzkowia m ...

'' (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 The ''Tiliqua scincoides scincoides,'' or eastern blue-tongued lizard, is native to Australia. It is unique due to its blue tongue, which can be used to warn off predators. In addition to flashing its blue tongue, the skink hisses and puffs up it ...

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