Scincella

{{Short description|Genus of lizards}}

{{redirect|Ground skink|a particular species|Scincella lateralis}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Scincella

| image = Scincella lateralis.jpg

| image_caption = Scincella lateralis, a ground skink

| taxon = Scincella

| authority = Mittleman, 1950

| synonyms = *Paralipinia {{small|Darevsky & Orlov, 1997}}

}}

Scincella is a genus of lizards in the skink family, Scincidae, commonly referred to as ground skinks. The exact number of species in the genus is unclear, as taxonomic reclassification is ongoing, and sources vary widely. Scincella species primarily range throughout the temperate regions of the world and are typically small, fossorial lizards, which consume a wide variety of arthropods. They are a generalized insectivore with well developed chemosensory abilities.{{Cite journal |last=Nicoletto |first=Paul F. |date=September 1985 |title=The Relative Roles of Vision and Olfaction in Prey Detection by the Ground Skink, Scincella lateralis |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1564269 |journal=Journal of Herpetology |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=411–415 |doi=10.2307/1564269 |jstor=1564269 |issn=0022-1511}}

Description

The Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis) a medium sized skink, that have a shiny brown back. They are most commonly found in moist woodland areas throughout the southeastern United States.{{Cite journal |last1=Rheubert |first1=J.L. |last2=McHugh |first2=H.H. |last3=Collier |first3=M.H. |last4=Sever |first4=D.M. |last5=Gribbins |first5=K.M. |date=July 2009 |title=Temporal germ cell development strategy during spermatogenesis within the testis of the Ground Skink, Scincella lateralis (Sauria: Scincidae) |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.01.021 |journal=Theriogenology |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=54–61 |doi=10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.01.021 |pmid=19344944 |issn=0093-691X}}File:Scincella caudaequinae, Horsetail Falls ground skink, Tamaulipas.jpg

Species

The genus Scincella contains the following 39 recognized species:{{NRDB genus|genus=Scincella|accessdate=11 July 2014}}{{Cite journal|last1=Nguyen|first1=Sang Ngoc|last2=Nguyen|first2=Vu Dang Hoang|last3=Nguyen|first3=Luan Thanh|last4=Murphy|first4=Robert W.|date=2020-10-28|title=A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from southern Vietnam|url=https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4868.3.6|journal=Zootaxa|volume=4868|issue=3|pages=423–434|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4868.3.6|pmid=33311393|s2cid=228957224|issn=1175-5334}}

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

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • Mittleman MB (1950). "The Generic Status of Scincus lateralis Say, 1823". Herpetologica 6 (2): 17–24. (Scincella, new genus).
  • Ouboter PE (1986). "A revision of the genus Scincella (Reptilia: Sauria: Scincidae) of Asia, with some notes on its evolution". Zoologische Verhandelingen 229: 1-66.

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Category:Reptiles of Asia

Category:Reptiles of Central America

Category:Reptiles of North America

Category:Lizard genera

Category:Taxa named by Myron Budd Mittleman

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