Common dwarf skink - Citizendia

Common Dwarf Skink

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Menetia
Species:	M. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Squamata (scaled reptiles is the largest recent order of Reptiles including Lizards and Snakes Members of the order are distinguished by Skinks are the most diverse group of Lizards They make the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other The genus Menetia GRAY 1845 belongs to the family of Skinks ( Scincidae) greyii

Binomial name

Menetia greyii
Gray, 1845

Menetia greyii, commonly known as the Common dwarf skink, is a species of lizard endemic to mainland Australia. Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. One of Australia's most widespread and abundant lizards, it is occurs in all parts of the mainland except coastal areas in the south-east, and Cape York Peninsula. This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia It is common in disturbed areas such as urban backyards, and is therefore fairly well known. ^[1]

It is a very small skink with smooth scales and prominent limbs. Skinks are the most diverse group of Lizards They make the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other 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. ^[1]

It is one of a small number of vertebrate species that are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis. Vertebrates are members of the Subphylum Vertebrata, Chordates with backbones or spinal columns The grouping sometimes includes Parthenogenesis (from the Greek παρθένος parthenos, "virgin" + γένεσις genesis, "creation" is an asexual form ^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b 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.

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
network: | |