''Ctenotus brooksi'', also known
commonly as Brooks' wedge-snouted ctenotus,
the wedgesnout ctenotus,
and the sandhill ctenotus,
is a
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 ...
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 most diverse families of lizards. S ...
, a
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 ...
in 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. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to
Australia and found in semi-arid regions.
Description
''C. brooksi'' can reach a total length (including the tail) of , noting that lizard measurements are often recorded using the
snout-to-vent length (SVL) in recognition that many lizards lose and regrow their tails.
''C. brooksi'' has a SVL of .
Likely due to the distribution of ''C. brooksi'' across isolated populations, there is a large amount of variation in colour and pattern. This variation is significantly more than other ''Ctenotus'' species.
Its colour varies from fawn, orange, pink, to a reddish brown, changing slightly to a more grey-green on the tail, with a lighter colour underside.
It may have a narrow pale-edged black vertical stripe from nape to tail, with or without an additional black stripe or dark flecks on each side of the vertebral stripe.
Some individuals may have a white mid-lateral stripe from groin to ear.
It
supralabials
In reptiles, the supralabial scales, also called upper-labials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the upper jaw. They do not include the median scaleWright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates ...
(scales on its upper lip) are usually whitish with faint barring.
It has 24 to 28 mid body scale rows, and
nasals
In phonetics, a nasal, also called a nasal occlusive or nasal stop in contrast with an oral stop or nasalized consonant, is an occlusive consonant produced with a lowered velum, allowing air to escape freely through the nose. The vast majority ...
separated or narrowly contacting.
Like others in the
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 and below family. In binomial n ...
''Ctenotus'', ''C. brooksi'', has smooth scales, ear openings with anterior lobules, well developed limbs, each with five digits.
Its lower eyelid is movable, but a transparent palpebral disc is not present in the eyelid.
Skinks in the genus ''Ctenotus'' are commonly known as "comb-eared skinks" because they have a row of small scales on the anterior edge of the ear.
Identification of individuals within the genus ''Ctenotus'' and the broader family Scincidae is also based on the number of scales and how they are distributed on the skink's head as well as
lamellae
Lamella (plural lamellae) means a small plate or flake in Latin, and in English may refer to:
Biology
* Lamella (mycology), a papery rib beneath a mushroom cap
* Lamella (botany)
* Lamella (surface anatomy), a plate-like structure in an animal
* ...
(fine plates) on the underside of the lizard's toes. Detailed examples and diagrams are provided in ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia'' by
Harold Cogger
Harold George "Hal" Cogger (born 4 May 1935) is an Australian herpetologist. He was curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Australian Museum from 1960 to 1975, and Deputy Director of the museum from 1976 to 1995. He has written extensively ...
.
Taxonomy and etymology
This species was first described as a
subspecies, ''Sphenomorphus leae brooksi'', by British herpetologist
Loveridge in 1933.
It was named after American ornithologist