Spondylurus
| Spondylurus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Subfamily: | Mabuyinae |
| Genus: | Spondylurus Fitzinger, 1826 |
Spondylurus is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus Spondylurus, vernacularly known as the Antillean four-lined skinks, is a neotropical skink taxon including many species.
Description
Species in the genus Spondylurus are characterized by four (occasionally three to six) dark dorsolateral stripes. This characteristic is known to fade in older individuals, and colors when preserved shift from tans and browns to greens and blues, often causing confusion as to the true color in life.[1]
Conservation status
Many of the species of Spondylurus are extinct or endangered, resulting from invasive predators such as the mongoose.[2]
Geographic range
The genus Spondylurus is distributed throughout the West Indies including the Caicos Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Lesser Antilles.[3]
Species list
These 17 species are recognized:[4]
- Spondylurus anegadae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus caicosae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus culebrae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus fulgidus (Cope, 1862)
- Spondylurus haitiae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus lineolatus (Noble & Hassler, 1933)
- Spondylurus macleani (Mayer & Lazell, 2000)
- Spondylurus magnacruzae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus martinae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus monae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus monitae Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus nitidus (Garman, 1887)
- Spondylurus powelli Hedges & Conn, 2012
- Spondylurus semitaeniatus (Wiegmann, 1837)
- Spondylurus sloanii (Daudin, 1803)
- Spondylurus spilonotus (Wiegmann, 1837)
- Spondylurus turksae Hedges & Conn, 2012
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Spondylurus.
References
- ↑ "A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
- ↑ "24 New Species of Lizards Discovered on Caribbean Islands are Close to Extinction". Retrieved 2013-11-03.
- ↑ Fitzinger (1826). "Spondylurus".
- ↑ "Spondylurus ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
Further reading
- Fitzinger LI (1826). Neue Classification der Reptilien nach ihren natürlichen Verwandtschaften. Nebst einer Verwandtschafts-tafel und einem Verzeichnisse der Reptilien-Sammlung des K. K. zoologischen Museum's zu Wien. Vienna: J.G. Heubner. five unnumbered + 67 pp. + one plate. (Spondylurus, new genus, p. 23). (in German).