Carinascincus
| Niveoscincus | |
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| Niveoscincus metallicus, metallic skink, near Cradle Mountain, Tasmania | |
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| Genus: | Niveoscincus |
| Species | |
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8, see text | |
Niveoscincus is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae), commonly called snow skinks[1] or cool-skinks[2] and residing mainly in Tasmania or Victoria, Australia.[3] The genus Niveoscincus belongs to a clade with the genera Carlia, Lampropholis and possibly others of the Eugongylus group.[4] For similar skinks see genera Pseudemoia, Lampropholis, and Bassiana. These skinks have adapted to the cooler weather of southern Australia and particularly Tasmania, hence the common names.
Species
- Niveoscincus coventryi (Rawlinson, 1975) – southern forest cool-skink
- Niveoscincus greeni (Rawlinson, 1975) – alpine cool-skink or northern snow skink
- Niveoscincus metallicus (O'Shaughnessy, 1874) – metallic skink or metallic cool-skink
- Niveoscincus microlepidotus (O'Shaughnessy, 1874) – boulder cool-skink or southern snow skink
- Niveoscincus ocellatus (Gray, 1845) – spotted skink, ocellated cool-skink, or ocellated skink
- Niveoscincus orocryptus (Hutchinson, Schwaner & Medlock, 1988) – Tasmanian mountain skink, heath cool-skink, or mountain skink
- Niveoscincus palfreymani (Rawlinson, 1974) – Pedra Branca skink, Pedra Branca cool-skink, or red-throated skink
- Niveoscincus pretiosus (O'Shaughnessy, 1874) – Tasmanian tree skink or agile cool-skink
References
- ^ Wilson S, Swan G. 2003. A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Second edition. Sydney:New Holland Publ.
- ^ Niveoscincus, Reptiles Database
- ^ http://www.cyberlizard.org.uk/skinks_niveoscincus.htm Niveoscincus
- ^ Austin, J.J., & Arnold, E.N. (2006): Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39 (2): 503–511. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011 (HTML abstract)
Further reading
- Hutchinson MN, Donnellan SC, Baverstock PR, Krieg M, Simms S, Burgin S. 1990. Immunological Relationships and Generic Revision of the Australian Lizards Assigned to the Genus Leiolopisma (Scincidae, Lygosominae). Australian J. Zool. 38 (5): 535-554. (Niveoscincus, new genus).
Cogger, H.G. (2014) Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th Edition, CSIRO Publishing has rejected the use of the Junior name Niveoscincus and recognizes the valid Senior generic name Carinascincus Wells and Wellington 1985 for the group.
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