''Scincella'' 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 and below family. In binomial n ...
of
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 in the
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 ...
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, commonly referred to as ground skinks.
The exact number of
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 ...
in the genus is unclear, as
taxonomic
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. A ...
reclassification is ongoing, and sources vary widely. ''Scincella'' species primarily range throughout the temperate regions of the world and are typically small,
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 ...
lizards, which consume a wide variety of
arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
s. They are a generalized insectivore with well developed chemosensory abilities.
Species
The genus ''Scincella'' contains the following 38 recognized species:
*''
Scincella apraefrontalis
The Huulien ground skink (''Scincella apraefrontalis'') is a species of skink found in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eas ...
'' - Huulien ground skink
*''
Scincella assata
The red forest skink (''Scincella assata'') is a species of skink found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, bord ...
'' - red forest skink
*''
Scincella badenensis
The Baden ground skink (''Scincella badenensis'') is a species of skink found in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern e ...
'' - Baden ground skink
*''
Scincella baraensis
The Bara ground skink (''Scincella baraensis'') is a species of skink found in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edg ...
''
*''
Scincella barbouri
''Scincella barbouri'', also known commonly as Barbour's ground skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to China.
Etymology
The specific name, ''barbouri'', is in honor of American herpetologist Thomas B ...
''
(Stejneger
Leonhard Hess Stejneger (30 October 1851 – 28 February 1943) was a Norwegian-born United States, American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputatio ...
, 1925) - Barbour's ground skink
*''
Scincella boettgeri
Boettger's ground skink (''Scincella boettgeri'') is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Etymology
The specific name, ''boettgeri'', is in honor of German herpetologist Oskar Boet ...
''
( Van Denburgh, 1912) - Boettger's ground skink
*''
Scincella capitanea
''Scincella capitanea'', the large ground skink, is a species of skink endemic to Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक � ...
''
Ouboter, 1986 - large ground skink
*''
Scincella caudaequinae
''Scincella caudaequinae'', commonly known as the Horsetail Falls ground skinkLiner, E. A. and G. Casas-Andreu. 2008. ''Standard Spanish, English and scientific names of the amphibians and reptiles of Mexico''. Society for the Study Amphibians an ...
''
( H.M. Smith, 1951) - Horsetail Falls ground skink
*''
Scincella cherriei
''Scincella cherriei'', commonly known as the brown forest skink and Cope's brown forest skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Central America and adjacent southeastern Mexico. Three subspecies are rec ...
'' - brown forest skink
*''
Scincella darevskii
Darevsky’s ground skink (''Scincella darevskii'') is a species of skink found in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern ...
'' - Darevsky's ground skink
*''
Scincella devorator
''Scincella devorator'' is a species of skink endemic to northern Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland ...
''
*''
Scincella doriae
''Scincella doriae'', also known commonly as Doria's ground skink and Doria's smooth skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia.
Etymology
The specific name, ''doriae'', is in honor of Ital ...
''
(Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer
* Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo
* George Albert Boulenger (1858� ...
, 1887) - Doria's ground skink, Doria's smooth skink
*''
Scincella dunan
''Scincella dunan'' is a species of skink endemic to Yonagunijima Island in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered ...
''
Koizumi, Ota, & Hikida, 2022
*''
Scincella forbesorum
''Scincella forbesorum'', also known Common name, commonly as Forbes' forest ground skink and ''la escíncela de bosque de Forbes'' in Mexican Spanish, is a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. The species is Endemism, en ...
''
(Taylor
Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to:
People
* Taylor (surname)
** List of people with surname Taylor
* Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah
* Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron
* Justice Taylor (disambiguation)
...
, 1937)
*''
Scincella formosensis
''Scincella'' is a genus of lizards in the skink family (biology), family, Scincidae, commonly referred to as ground skinks. The exact number of species in the genus is unclear, as Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic reclassification is ongoing, and ...
''
(Van Denburgh, 1912) - Van Denburgh's ground skink
*''
Scincella gemmingeri
''Scincella gemmingeri'', commonly known as the forest ground skink, Cope's forest ground skink, and ''la escíncela de bosque de Cope'' in Mexican Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Mexico.
...
''
(Cope, 1864) - forest ground skink
*''
Scincella huanrenensis
''Scincella huanrenensis'' is a species of skink found in Liaoning in Northeast China and in Korea. The specific name refers to its type locality, Huanren County
Huanren Manchu Autonomous County (, Manchu: ; Mölendroff: huwanren manju beye ...
''
Zhao Zhao may refer to:
* Zhao (surname) (赵), a Chinese surname
** commonly spelled Chao in Taiwan or up until the early 20th century in other regions
** Chiu, from the Cantonese pronunciation
** Cho (Korean surname), represent the Hanja 趙 (Chinese ...
& Huang Huang or Hwang may refer to:
Location
* Huang County, former county in Shandong, China, current Longkou City
* Yellow River, or Huang River, in China
* Huangshan, mountain range in Anhui, China
* Huang (state), state in ancient China.
* Hwang ...
, 1982
*''
Scincella incerta
''Scincella incerta'' is a species of skink found in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala ...
''
*''
Scincella kikaapoa
''Scincella kikaapoa'' is a species of skink endemic to Mexico. The specific name ''kikaapoa'' refers Kickapoo people from Coahuila, the region of the type locality
Type locality may refer to:
* Type locality (biology)
* Type locality (geolo ...
''
*''
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 ...
''
( Say, 1823) - little brown skink, ground skink
*''
Scincella macrotis
The large-eared ground skink (''Scincella macrotis'') is a species of skink found in the Nicobar Islands of India.
References
* Boulenger, G. A. 1887 Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, ...
''
(Steindachner
Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...
, 1867) - large-eared ground skink
*''
Scincella melanosticta
''Scincella melanosticta'', also known as black ground skink or black-spotted smooth skink, is a species of skink in the genus of ''Scincella''. It is found in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម� ...
''
(Boulenger, 1887) - black ground skink, black-spotted smooth skink
*''
Scincella modesta
The modest ground skink (''Scincella modesta'') is a species of skink found in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceedi ...
''
(Günther, 1864) - modest ground skink
*''
Scincella monticola
''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'' s ...
''
(K.P. Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt (June 19, 1890 – September 26, 1957) was an American herpetologist.
Family
Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. George W. Schmidt was a German professor, who, at the time of Kar ...
, 1925) - mountainous dwarf skink
*''
Scincella nigrofasciata
''Scincella nigrofasciata'' is a species of skink found in Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese P ...
''
*''
Scincella ochracea
''Scincella ochracea'' is a species of skink found in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast A ...
''
*''
Scincella potanini
''Scincella potanini'' is a species of skink found in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly a ...
''
*''
Scincella przewalskii''
( Bedriaga, 1912)
*''
Scincella punctatolineata
''Scincella punctatolineata'', the Burma smooth skink, is a species of skink found in Myanmar and Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at ...
''
(Boulenger, 1893) - Burma smooth skink
*''
Scincella rara
The double subdigital-pads skink (''Scincella rara'') 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 g ...
''
(Darevsky & Orlov, 1997) - double subdigital-pads skink
*''
Scincella reevesii
''Scincella reevesii'' (common name: Reeves's smooth skink) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Asia.
Etymology
The specific name, ''reevesii'', is in honor of English naturalist John Reeves.Beo ...
''
(Gray, 1838) - Reeves's smooth skink
*''
Scincella rufocaudata
The red-tailed ground skink (''Scincella rufocaudata'') is a species of skink found in Vietnam and Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in th ...
'' - red-tailed ground skink
*''
Scincella rupicola
''Scincella rupicola'' is a species of skink found in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast A ...
''
*''
Scincella schmidti
''Scincella schmidti'' is a species of skink found in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly a ...
''
*''
Scincella silvicola
''Scincella silvicola'' is a species of skink that lives in the southern Sierra Madre Oriental and northern Sierra Madre de Oaxaca of Mexico, from Puebla to Oaxaca. It occurs primarily in dry, scrubby areas and forests, especially pine forests. I ...
''
(Taylor, 1937)
*''
Scincella tsinlingensis
''Scincella tsinlingensis'' is a species of skink found in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slight ...
''
( Hu & Zhao, 1966)
*''
Scincella vandenburghi
''Scincella vandenburghi'', also known commonly as the Korean skink, the Tsushima ground skink, and the Tsushima smooth skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to East Asia
Geographic range
''S. v ...
''
(K.P. Schmidt, 1927) - Korean skink, Tsushima ground skink, Tsushima smooth skink)
*''
Scincella victoriana
''Scincella victoriana'' is a species of skink found in Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English ...
''
( Shreve, 1940)
''
Nota bene
(, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well".
It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature
and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atte ...
'': A
binomial authority
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Scincella''.
References
Further reading
*
Mittleman MB (1950). "The Generic Status of ''Scincus lateralis'' Say, 1823". ''Herpetologica'' 6 (2): 17–24. (''Scincella'', new genus).
*
Ouboter PE (1986). "A revision of the genus ''Scincella'' (Reptilia: Sauria: Scincidae) of Asia, with some notes on its evolution". ''Zoologische Verhandelingen'' 229: 1-66.
Reptiles of Asia
Reptiles of Central America
Reptiles of North America
Lizard genera
Taxa named by Myron Budd Mittleman
{{sphenomorphinae-stub
ko:도마뱀