Sphenomorphus

The genus Sphenomorphus – vernacularly also known as the common skinks – currently serves as a "wastebin taxon" for numerous skinks. While most or all species presently placed here are probably rather close relatives, the genus as presently delimited is likely to be not monophyletic and is in need of review.[1] Some species in this genus have been moved to Pinoyscincus.

This article is about a genus vernacularly known as common skinks. For the common skink from New Zealand, see Oligosoma polychroma.

Sphenomorphus
Sphenomorphus nigrolabris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Subfamily: Sphenomorphinae
Genus: Sphenomorphus
Fitzinger, 1843
Species

Presently 113, but see text

Synonyms

The namesake of the Sphenomorphus group of Lygosominae genera, most species would probably occupy a rather basal position therein.[2]

Species

"Hinulia" elegans, described by Gray in 1838, is unidentified, but may be Eulamprus tenuis,[5] which is also known as Concinnia tenuis (Gray, 1831).

Geographic range

Species of Sphenomorphus are found mainly in Southeast Asia but have also been found in India and northwards to China.

References
  1. Greer et al. (2006).
  2. Austin & Arnold (2006).
  3. 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. (Sphenomorphus muelleri, p. 184).
  4. Species Sphenomorphus muelleri at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  5. Shea & Michels (2008).
  • Austin JJ, Arnold EN (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)
  • Greer, Allen E.; David, Patrick; Teynié, Alexandre (2006). "The Southeast Asian scincid lizard Siaphos tridigitus Bourret, 1939 (Reptilia, Scincidae): a second specimen". Zoosystema 28 (3): 785-790. PDF fulltext
  • Shea GM, Michels JP (2008). "A replacement name for Sphenomorphus keiensis (Kopstein, 1926) from the southeastern Moluccas, Indonesia (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) with a redescription of the species". Zoologische Mededelingen Leiden 82 (52): 737-747. PDF

Further reading
  • Fitzinger L (1843). Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Sphenomorphus, new genus, p. 23). (in Latin).
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