Common dwarf skink

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Common dwarf skink
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Subphylum:
Class:
Order:
Suborder:
Infraorder:
Family:
Subfamily:
Genus:
Species:
M. greyii
Binomial name
Menetia greyii
Gray, 1845

Lua error in Module:Taxonbar/candidate at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Menetia greyii, commonly known as the common dwarf skink, is a species of lizard endemic to mainland Australia.

Etymology

The specific name, greyii, is in honor of explorer George Grey, who became Governor of South Australia and later Governor of New Zealand.[2]

Geographic range

One of Australia's most widespread and abundant lizards, M. greyii occurs in all parts of the mainland except coastal areas in the south-east, and Cape York Peninsula.[3]

Habitat

M. greyii is common in disturbed areas such as urban backyards, and is therefore fairly well known.[3]

Description

M. greyii is a very small skink with smooth scales and prominent limbs. It is grey to brown, usually with a stripe of black flecks along its back. Some populations have bright-yellow bellies, while others are silvery grey.[3]

Reproduction

M. greyii is one of a small number of vertebrate species that are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis.[4]

References

  1. "Menetia greyii ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Menetia greyii, p. 108).
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • Gray, John Edward (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Menetia greyii, new species, p. 66).


<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>