Skink
Plestiodon japonicus
The skinks ( Scincidae ), also called skinks are a family in the class of reptiles ( Reptilia ).
There are more than 100 genera and about 1500 species. The skinks are thus the most species-rich family of lizards at all.
Way of life
Skinks inhabit tropical areas around the world. Most often they are found in Southeast Asia. There they inhabit the soil by digging in, or trees where they used her tail as a climbing aid. Are to him at the tree-dwelling species small barbs. Your cock can throw some kinds of danger. He shrugs after a while and confused by the enemy, so that the lizard is time to flee.
As the snakes they move through their short extremities ahead with undulations. In bottom-dwelling species, the legs can also be completely absent. They are usually dark in color, but can also be very colorful. They reach a size of 8-35 cm. However, there are exceptions which may be much larger.
Their diet consists among other things of insects and lizards. But larger species also feed on vegetarian food Some lay eggs, some give birth to live young. Some species protect the nests or their young hatched.
Inside systematics
It distinguishes seven subfamilies, who should receive the rank of families on a proposal from the S. Blair Hedges herpetologists and Caitlin E. Conn. Hedges presented in early 2014 in addition ( for Ateuchosaurus ) and Ristellidae ( for Lankascincus and Ristella ) on families Ateuchosauridae. The previously classified three subfamilies Acontinae, Lygosominae and Scincinae have in this classification by hedges the rank of superfamily ( Acontinoidea, Lygosomoidea and Scincoidea ). Thus, the scope of these groups remains largely the same, only with the Lygosomoidea there is a further subdivision into new families, the other two superfamilies each include only one family.
- Subfamily Acontinae
- Subfamily Egerniinae Bellatorias Wells & Wellington, 1984
- Corucia Gray, 1855
- Cyclodomorphus Fitzinger, 1843
- Egernia Gray, 1838
- Hemisphaeriodon Peters, 1867
- Liopholis Fitzinger, 1843
- Lissolepis Peters, 1872
- Blauzungenskinke ( Tiliqua Gray, 1825)
- Helmskinke ( Tribolonotus ) Duméril & Bibron, 1839
- Amphiglossus
- Androngo
- Barkudia
- Brachymeles
- Chabanaudia
- Walzenskinke ( Chalcides )
- Chalcidoseps
- Eumeces
- Eurylepis
- Feylinia
- Gongylomorphus
- Hakaria
- Janetaescincus
- Jarujinia
- Madascincus
- Melanoseps
- Mesoscincus
- Nessia
- Ophiomorus
- Pamelaescincus
- Paracontias
- Plestiodon
- Proscelotes
- Pseudoacontias
- Pygomeles
- Scelotes
- Scincopus
- Scincus
- Scolecoseps
- Sepsina
- Sepsophis
- Sirenoscincus
- Typhlacontias
- Voeltzkowia