Gnypetoscincus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prickly Skink Lizard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (paraphyletic)
(unranked) Sauria
Order: Squamata (paraphyletic)
Infraorder: Scincomorpha
Family: Scincidae
Subfamily: Lygosominae
Genus: Gnypetoscincus
Species: G. queenslandiae
Binomial name
Gnypetoscincus queenslandiae

Gnypetoscincus is a monotypic genus of skinks (family Scincidae). It contains only the Prickly Skink, Gnypetoscincus queenslandiae.

These skinks have rough, keeled scales, unlike the skin of most small skinks which tends to be smooth. They are found only in tropical north Queensland.

It belongs to a clade in the Sphenomorphus group which contains such genera as Ctenotus and Anomalopus. Even closer to the Prickly Skink seems the genus Eulamprus.(Austin & Arnold 2006)

[edit] References

  • 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)

[edit] External links


Languages