Paracontias

Paracontias
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Paracontias Mocquard, 1894 [1]
Species
12, see text.

Paracontias is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae). The genus is endemic to Madagascar.^[2]

Taxonomy and systematics

Paracontias is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae, which seems to be paraphyletic however. Probably quite close to Amphiglossus and possibly Androngo trivittatus, it belongs to a major clade which does not seem to include the type genus Scincus. Thus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily. (Austin & Arnold 2006)

Species

The following 12 species are recognized.^[2]

• Paracontias brocchii Mocquard, 1894
• Paracontias fasika J. Köhler et al., 2010
• Paracontias hafa Andreone & Greer, 2002
• Paracontias hildebrandti (W. Peters, 1880)
• Paracontias holomelas (Günther, 1877)
• Paracontias kankana J. Köhler et al., 2009
• Paracontias manify Andreone & Greer, 2002
• Paracontias milloti Angel, 1949
• Paracontias minimus (Mocquard,1906)
• Paracontias rothschildi Mocquard, 1905
• Paracontias tsararano Andreone & Greer, 2002
• Paracontias vermisaurus Miralles et al., 2011

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Paracontias.

References

Further reading

• 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)
• Mocquard F. 1894. "Reptiles nouveaux ou insuffisamment connus de Madagascar ". Compte Rendu Sommaire des Séances de la Société Philomatique de Paris 17: 1-8. (Paracontias, new genus, p. 3). (in French).