Common dwarf skink
Menetia greyii, commonly known as the common dwarf skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to mainland Australia and Indonesia.
| Common dwarf skink | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Menetia |
| Species: | M. greyii |
| Binomial name | |
| Menetia greyii Gray, 1845 | |
Etymology
The specific name, greyii, is in honor of explorer George Grey, who became Governor of South Australia and later Governor of New Zealand.[1]
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.[2]
Habitat
M. greyii is common in disturbed areas such as urban backyards, and is therefore fairly well known.[2]
Description
M. greyii is a very small skink with smooth scales and prominent limbs. Dorsally, 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 ventrally.[2]
Reproduction
M. greyii is one of a small number of vertebrate species that are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis.[3]
References
- 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).
- Bush, Brian; Maryan, Brad; Browne-Cooper, Robert; Robinson, David (1995). A Guide to the Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region. University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 1-875560-42-4.
- Adams, Mark; Foster, Ralph; Hutchinson, Mark; Hutchinson, Rhonda; Donnellan, Steve (2003). "The Australian scincid lizard Menetia greyii: A new instance of widespread vertebrate parthenogenesis". Evolution. 57 (11): 2619–2627. doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2003.tb01504.x. PMID 14686536. S2CID 34128811.
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).