Skink

For other uses, see the reptile.

Skink
A Skink found at the Malabar Battery
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia (paraphyletic)
(unranked):	Sauria
Order:	Squamata (paraphyletic)
Suborder:	Scleroglossa
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Scincidae Gray, 1825
Subfamilies
Acontinae Lygosominae Scincinae (probably paraphyletic) For genera, see below.

Skink are the most diverse group of lizards. They comprise 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.

Description

Skinks look roughly like true lizards, but most species have no pronounced neck and sport 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 skink are medium sized with a length from the snout to the vent of up to 12 cm (4.7 in), although there are a few that grow to larger sizes, such as the Corucia, which can reach 35 cm (13.8") from snout to vent.

Diet

Skink are generally carnivorous and largely eat insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. They also eat earthworms, snails, slugs, isopods, other lizards, and small rodents. 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).

Habitat

Skink are found in a variety of habitats worldwide. Some species are endangered, such as the Chevron Skink in New Zealand, reported less than 100 times since first being identified in 1906.

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 (day-active) and typically bask on rocks or logs during the day.

Breeding

During the breeding season, some types of skink will exhibit orange or red markings to indicate sexual maturity. Approximately 45% of skink species are ovoviviparous (hatching eggs internally and giving birth to live offspring). The approximately 55% of skink species which are oviparous (egg-laying) give birth in small clutches.

Predators

Raccoons, foxes, possums, snakes, coatis, crows, cats, dogs, herons, hawks, and kookaburras all prey on skinks.

Gallery

• 
  Bronze Grass Skink Mabuya macularia at Pocharam lake, Andhra Pradesh, India.
• 
  Bridled mabuya, Mabuya vittata
• 
  Blotched blue-tongued lizard
• Lampropholis delicata, Sydney, Australia
  Lampropholis delicata, Sydney, Australia
• 
  Skink, photographed at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA, 2007
• Skink,
  Skink,
• 
  Skink,
• Skink, Falling Waters State Park, Florida, USA, 2007
  Skink, Falling Waters State Park, Florida, USA, 2007
• 
  Western skink in San Diego, California
• Skink in South Carolina
  Skink in South Carolina
• Skink, BSD City, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia.
  Skink, BSD City, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia.
• 
  Ctenotus robustus on the walking track at Dorrigo National Park, Australia
• 
  Plestiodon japonicus
• 
  Lampropholis guichenoti, Australia
• 
  Broad-Headed Skink, Plestiodon laticeps Jacksonville, Florida, USA, 2009
• Skink, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
  Skink, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
• Metallic Skink, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
  Metallic Skink, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
• 
  Skink, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia

Genera

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.

Ablepharus Acontias Acontophiops Afroablepharus Amphiglossus Androngo Anomalopus Apterygodon Asymblepharus Ateuchosaurus Barkudia Bartleia Bassiana Brachymeles Caledoniscincus Calyptotis Carlia Cautula Chabanaudia Chalcides Chalcidoseps Coeranoscincus Cophoscincopus Corucia Cryptoblepharus Cryptoscincus

Ctenotus Cyclodina Cyclodomorphus Dasia Davewakeum Egernia Emoia Eremiascincus Eroticoscincus Eugongylus Eulamprus Eumeces Eumecia Euprepes Eurylepis Eutropis Feylinia Fojia Geomyersia Geoscincus Glaphyromorphus Gnypetoscincus Gongylomorphus Gongylus Graciliscincus Haackgreerius

Hemiergis Hemisphaeriodon Isopachys Janetaescincus Lacertaspis Lacertoides Lacertus Lamprolepis Lampropholis Lankascincus Larutia Leiolopisma Leptoseps Leptosiaphos Lerista Lioscincus Lipinia Lobulia Lubuya Lygisaurus Lygosoma Mabuya Macroscincus Marmorosphax Melanoseps Menetia

Mesoscincus Mochlus Morethia Nangura Nannoscincus Neoseps Nessia Niveoscincus Notoscincus Novoeumeces Oligosoma Ophiomorus Ophioscincus Pamelaescincus Panaspis Papuascincus Parachalcides Paracontias Paralipinia Parvoscincus Phoboscincus Plestiodon Prasinohaema Proablepharus Proscelotes Pseudoacontias

Pseudemoia Pygomeles Riopa Ristella Saiphos Saproscincus Scelotes Scincella Scincopus Scincus Scolecoseps Sepsina Sigaloseps Simiscincus Sphenomorphus (probably paraphyletic) Sphenops Tachygia Tiliqua Tribolonotus Tropidophorus Tropidoscincus Typhlacontias Typhlosaurus Voeltzkowia

References

• De Vosjoli, Philippe ((1993): Prehensile-Tailed Skinks. Advanced Vivarium Systems. ISBN 1-882770-24-2

External links

• Description of Skinks at the TIGR.
• The Five-lined Skink {broken link}
• The Lizards of Missouri
• Observations on Mating Behavior of the Solomon Island Skink
• Five-lined Skink - Eumeces fasciatus Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide.