Journal articles: 'Skinks'

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Rubbo, Michael J., Victor R. Townsend, Jr., Scott D. Smyers, and Robert G. Jaeger. "The potential for invertebratevertebrate intraguild predation: the predatory relationship between wolf spiders (Gladicosa pulchra) and ground skinks (Scincella lateralis)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 79, no. 8 (August 1, 2001): 1465–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z01-098.

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Intraguild predation is described as predation among organisms that exploit similar resources. As wolf spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae) are generalist predators that share habitat and food resources with the ground skink Scincella lateralis, we conducted a series of laboratory experiments to determine if wolf spiders are capable of preying upon ground skinks. Wolf spiders (Gladicosa pulchra) successfully preyed on skinks during 3 of 20 encounters, but did not overtly respond to chemical stimuli from the skinks. Skinks employed antipredatory behaviors (i.e., immobility) when exposed to visual and chemical stimuli from spiders, providing evidence that they recognize spiders as predators prior to an encounter. In an additional experiment, the hypothesis that increased skink movement would lead to an increase in spider attacks was tested. Skinks exhibited high levels of movement in this experiment, with spider predation occurring during 4 of 10 encounters. The presence of structural refugia played a significant role in this predatorprey interaction by increasing the amount of time required for a spider to prey upon a skink. Our results indicate that G. pulchra can prey upon S. lateralis, and that skinks may recognize cues deposited on the substrate by spiders. These data indicate that these two species may interact in an ecologically meaningful manner.

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Riley, Julia L., Daniel W. A. Noble, Richard W. Byrne, and Martin J. Whiting. "Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard." Royal Society Open Science 4, no. 5 (May 2017): 161082. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.161082.

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Early social environment can play a significant role in shaping behavioural development. For instance, in many social mammals and birds, isolation rearing results in individuals that are less exploratory, shyer, less social and more aggressive than individuals raised in groups. Moreover, dynamic aspects of social environments, such as the nature of relationships between individuals, can also impact the trajectory of development. We tested if being raised alone or socially affects behavioural development in the family-living tree skink, Egernia striolata . Juveniles were raised in two treatments: alone or in a pair. We assayed exploration, boldness, sociability and aggression repeatedly throughout each juvenile's first year of life, and also assessed social interactions between pairs to determine if juveniles formed dominant–subordinate relationships. We found that male and/or the larger skinks within social pairs were dominant. Developing within this social environment reduced skink growth, and subordinate skinks were more prone to tail loss. Thus, living with a conspecific was costly for E. striolata . The predicted negative effects of isolation failed to materialize. Nevertheless, there were significant differences in behavioural traits depending on the social environment (isolated, dominant or subordinate member of a pair). Isolated skinks were more social than subordinate skinks. Subordinate skinks also became more aggressive over time, whereas isolated and dominant skinks showed invariable aggression. Dominant skinks became bolder over time, whereas isolated and subordinate skinks were relatively stable in their boldness. In summary, our study is evidence that isolation rearing does not consistently affect behaviour across all social taxa. Our study also demonstrates that the social environment plays an important role in behavioural development of a family-living lizard.

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Gorissen, Sarsha, Ian R. C. Baird, Matthew Greenlees, Ahamad N. Sherieff, and Richard Shine. "Predicting the occurrence of an endangered reptile based on habitat attributes." Pacific Conservation Biology 24, no. 1 (2018): 12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc17027.

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The endangered Blue Mountains water skink (Eulamprus leuraensis), a habitat specialist known from approximately 60 threatened highland peat swamps, is the sole endemic vertebrate of the Blue Mountains region, Australia. We quantified the species’ habitat associations by surveying 10 such swamps annually for three years. We scored habitat features and trapped skinks, comparing habitat attributes of trap sites where skinks were and were not captured. The distribution of E. leuraensis was non-random: skinks were found at sites with high values for some variables (soil moisture, live vegetation, surface water, understorey density and numbers of burrows) and low values for others (dead vegetation, logs, rocks, bare ground, canopy cover, sunlight penetration and numbers of invertebrates), and were mostly found in sites that were close to surface water and far from trees and logs. Eulamprus leuraensis is widely distributed within swamps, with weak associations between microhabitat variation and skink presence. Skink abundance and mean body size were highest within swamp centres, decreasing towards the margins; larger skinks were found closer to water, gravid female skinks were found at wetter sites and juveniles occupied marginal habitat. Skinks were rarely recaptured >10 m from their original site, with adult males travelling further than adult females and juveniles. We developed a quick field detection method for managers to assess the likely presence of E. leuraensis using two habitat attributes (soil moisture and burrow abundance). We mapped the species’ known and predicted habitat using GIS spatial layers, including locality records, associated vegetation communities and digital elevation models.

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GEMEL, RICHARD, and VLADISLAV VERGILOV. "Nomenclatural-taxonomic notes on the genus Ablepharus Fitzinger, 1824 (Squamata: Scincidae)." Zootaxa 4858, no. 3 (October 1, 2020): 448–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4858.3.11.

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The two following notes concern two species of small skinks, genus Ablepharus: Lindberg’s Twin-striped Skink (Ablepharus lindbergi) and the Snake-eyed Skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii). Both species are small fossorial/semi-fossorial skinks with fused eyelids and a hidden lifestyle. A. kitaibelii is distributed disjunctly in several subspecies in Central and Southeastern Europe as well as in Western Turkey, A. lindbergi is distributed in Western Afghanistan (Uetz et al. 2020).

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Nicholson, Evelyn, Alan Lill, and Alan Andersen. "Do tropical savanna skink assemblages show a short-term response to low-intensity fire?" Wildlife Research 33, no. 4 (2006): 331. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr05067.

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The composition of skink assemblages at a tropical savanna site in northern Australia was documented immediately before and after low-intensity, experimental fires in the early dry season (June), and compared with the composition in neighbouring unburnt plots. The composition of the assemblage of captured skinks was not significantly affected by fire, and no change in total abundance of skinks was recorded. Arthropods constitute the principal food of the skinks and the composition of the captured arthropod samples on the treatment plots was significantly affected by the fires, with spiders, beetles and hemipterans increasing in numbers during the immediate post-fire period. Seasonal changes in captured skink assemblage composition, unrelated to the fire event, occurred between the wet–dry season transition and the early dry season. These changes were associated with variation in four weather variables and were possibly also related to seasonal reproductive activity. Our study demonstrates a high degree of resilience of savanna skinks to individual fire events; however, the longer-term effect of different fire regimes requires further investigation.

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KLOMPEN, HANS, and CHRISTOPHER C. AUSTIN. "A new species of Ophiomegistus Banks (Acari: Paramegistidae) from Papua New Guinea." Zootaxa 1387, no. 1 (January 8, 2007): 47–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1387.1.4.

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A new species of Ophiomegistus, O. spectabilis, is described from New Guinea. This represents the 13th species of this genus from New Guinea skinks. A re-evaluation of host and locality data for the genus shows a host range restricted to squamates, especially skinks, but no obvious specificity for individual skink species. Specificity for small geographical areas seems more likely.

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KLOMPEN, HANS, and CHRISTOPHER C. AUSTIN. "A new species of Ophiomegistus Banks (Acari: Paramegistidae) from Papua New Guinea." Zootaxa 1387, no. 1 (January 8, 2007): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1387.4.

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A new species of Ophiomegistus, O. spectabilis, is described from New Guinea. This represents the 13th species of this genus from New Guinea skinks. A re-evaluation of host and locality data for the genus shows a host range restricted to squamates, especially skinks, but no obvious specificity for individual skink species. Specificity for small geographical areas seems more likely.

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Lu, Hong-Liang, Xiang Ji, and Wei-Guo Du. "Tail loss reduces locomotor ability but not metabolic rate in a viviparous skink, Sphenomorphus indicus." Animal Biology 63, no. 3 (2013): 369–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15707563-00002419.

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Tail autotomy is an efficient predator escape form, but imposes locomotor costs in many lizard species. It has been hypothesized that locomotor impairment following tail autotomy results from the altered running dynamics or loss of energy available for locomotion, but there is a paucity of data available to demonstrate such effects. We evaluated the locomotor costs of tail loss in a viviparous skink, Sphenomorphus indicus, and examined whether locomotor costs were related to changes in gait characteristics and metabolic rate. Of 24 field-captured adult males with original intact tails, 12 individuals were used as experimental animals, and the remaining 12 as controls. Locomotor performance and CO2 production were measured for the experimental skinks before and after tail removal; the same parameters were measured at the same time for the control skinks. Compared with tailed skinks, the mean locomotor speed and stamina of tailless skinks was reduced by approximately 26% and 17%, respectively. At any given speed, tailless skinks had a shorter stride length for hindlimbs (but not for forelimbs) and a greater stride frequency than did tailed skinks. In S. indicus, locomotor impairment may be a result of the reduced stride length, and energetic constraints on stride frequency. We found no significant change in standard metabolic rate after the skinks underwent tail removal, which may reflect a minor effect on energy expenditure for maintenance. Although the reduction in metabolically active tissue might cause a lower metabolic rate, tail regeneration counteracted such an effect because it was energetically expensive.

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Watson, Gregory S., David W. Green, and Jolanta A. Watson. "Observations supporting parental care by a viviparous reptile: aggressive behaviour against predators demonstrated by Cunningham’s skinks." Australian Journal of Zoology 67, no. 3 (2019): 180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo20024.

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Most reptiles exhibit no parental care and aggressive behaviour towards heterospecific predators has rarely been recorded in the natural environment. Several species of the subfamily Egerniinae are amongst the most highly social of all squamate reptiles, exhibiting stable social aggregations and high levels of long-term social and genetic monogamy. We have examined Cunningham’s skinks, Egernia cunninghami, over a three-year period during late January and early February (total 32 days) in the alpine region of New South Wales using video and thermal imaging. Four birthing sessions were witnessed during our field studies of social aggregations of skinks. Our observations monitored skink encounters, in the presence of offspring, with an eastern brown snake, Pseudonaja textilis (two separate encounters, one recorded by video/imaging) and 12 encounters with the Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen. All events were associated with aggressive chasing and/or attack by adult skinks. The first snake encounter involved the active targeting of a recently born juvenile with the mother of the juvenile attacking the snake (running towards the snake, biting and remaining attached for several seconds). The second encounter (the following year) comprised two adult skinks attacking and biting a snake, Pseudonaja textilis. All magpie encounters resulted in chases by adult skinks.

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Ash, C. "ECOLOGY: Shape-Shifting Skinks." Science 303, no. 5662 (February 27, 2004): 1259d—1261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.303.5662.1259d.

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Christie, Kimberley, Michael D. Craig, Vicki L. Stokes, and Richard J. Hobbs. "Movement patterns by Egernia napoleonis following reintroduction into restored jarrah forest." Wildlife Research 38, no. 6 (2011): 475. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr11063.

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Context The value of animal reintroduction as a conservation tool is debated. This is largely because the limited quantity of research that has been conducted on animal reintroductions has shown varying degrees of success in establishing new populations. The reasons why some reintroductions are successful, whereas others are not, are often not clear. Aims The present research aims to determine whether reptile reintroduction into restored mine pits is a potential management technique for managing and conserving reptile populations within a mined landscape. Methods Twelve Napoleon’s skinks were trapped then fitted with 0.9-g transmitters. Half were reintroduced into 5-year-old restored mine pits and the other half into unmined forest. Bodyweights, movement patterns and macro-habitat selection were recorded weekly during November and then monthly until March. Key results Skinks reintroduced into restored sites quickly moved into unmined forest. Both groups of skinks moved large distances, but those reintroduced into restored sites travelled further than did control skinks and took longer to reduce their distances travelled, showing possible stress as a result of release into unsuitable habitat. Eventually, almost all skinks found suitable habitat in unmined forest and settled into these areas while continuing to gain weight. Conclusions Reintroduction was an ineffective technique for facilitating colonisation of restored minesites by Napoleon’s skink. Lack of suitable micro-habitats within restoration areas, such as ground logs and coarse, woody debris piles, is likely limiting the use of these areas by Napoleon’s skinks and is likely to be the cause of their failure to remain or settle in restored sites after reintroduction. Implications Determining the habitat requirements of skinks and replicating this in restoration sites would seem the more appropriate management option than is reintroduction, and this may be the case for other reptiles and habitat specialists.

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Lowney, Anthony M., Tom P. Flower, and Robert L. Thomson. "Kalahari skinks eavesdrop on sociable weavers to manage predation by pygmy falcons and expand their realized niche." Behavioral Ecology 31, no. 5 (June 2, 2020): 1094–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/araa057.

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Abstract Eavesdropping on community members has immediate and clear benefits. However, little is known regarding its importance for the organization of cross-taxa community structure. Furthermore, the possibility that eavesdropping could allow species to coexist with a predator and access risky foraging habitat, thereby expanding their realized niche, has been little considered. Kalahari tree skinks (Trachylepis spilogaster) associate with sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) colonies as do African pygmy falcons (Polihierax semitorquatus), a predator of skinks and weavers. We undertook observational and experimental tests to determine if skinks eavesdrop on sociable weavers to mitigate any increase in predation threat that associating with weaver colonies may bring. Observations reveal that skinks use information from weavers to determine when predators are nearby; skinks were more active, more likely to forage in riskier habitats, and initiated flight from predators earlier in the presence of weavers compared with when weavers were absent. Playback of weaver alarm calls caused skinks to increase vigilance and flee, confirming that skinks eavesdrop on weavers. Furthermore, skinks at sociable weaver colonies were more likely to flee than skinks at noncolony trees, suggesting that learning is mechanistically important for eavesdropping behavior. Overall, it appears that eavesdropping allows skinks at colony trees to gain an early warning signal of potential predators, expand their realized niche, and join communities, whose predators may otherwise exclude them.

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Craig, Michael D., Angela M. Benkovic, Andrew H. Grigg, Giles E. St J. Hardy, Patricia A. Fleming, and Richard J. Hobbs. "How many mature microhabitats does a slow-recolonising reptile require? Implications for restoration of bauxite minesites in south-western Australia." Australian Journal of Zoology 59, no. 1 (2011): 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo10046.

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If we are to accelerate the recolonisation of restored areas by slow-recolonising species, we must provide suitable microhabitats at appropriate densities. Previous research in south-western Australia has shown that Napoleon’s skink (Egernia napoleonis) rarely recolonises restored areas. We trapped Napoleon’s skink in restoration and unmined forest to confirm the species was late successional. We also radio-tracked six skinks in unmined forest, to determine types and characteristics of used microhabitats, and estimated home ranges to determine required microhabitat densities, with the aim of accelerating skink recolonisation of restored areas. All tracked skinks used logs and hollow-bearing trees. Used logs were larger, and used trees were larger and taller than random samples, probably because large logs and trees were more likely to contain cracks and hollows that provide a refuge from predators. Extrapolations from home-range estimates indicated that a minimum of four logs ha–1 are required in restored areas to facilitate recolonisation by skinks, with skink densities likely to increase with log densities. Our study demonstrated that not all fauna will naturally recolonise restored areas and management of these areas is required to provide suitable habitat for late-successional species. Our approach could potentially be applied to other ecosystems or species.

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Roughton, Catherine M., and Philip J. Seddon. "Estimating site occupancy and detectability of an endangered New Zealand lizard, the Otago skink (Oligosoma otagense)." Wildlife Research 33, no. 3 (2006): 193. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr05045.

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There is a need to develop appropriate monitoring methods for cryptic reptile species, such as the endangered New Zealand endemic Otago skink (Oligosoma otagense), that take into account incomplete detectability. A recently developed analytical technique was applied to presence–absence data for Otago skinks to derive robust estimates of both detection probability and site occupancy. The estimated detection probability for Otago skinks was 0.4 (s.e. 0.052), and the estimate of the proportion of the study area occupied by Otago skinks was 0.71 (s.e. 0.11). The data derived from presence–absence surveys in consistently sunny weather, with a standardised scanning and searching technique, provided a good basis for robust estimates of detection probability and of the percentage of area occupied by skinks. This survey technique could be applied to other similarly cryptic reptile species to derive rigorous estimates of site occupancy in order to track changes over time or in response to management interventions. It will be particularly appropriate where precise estimation of absolute abundance is not warranted, or where a simple index of relative abundance may be invalid due to failure of the implicit assumption of constant detectability.

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Humphrey, Jacinta E., Kylie A. Robert, and Steve W. J. Leonard. "Elliott traps found to be ineffective for the survey of swamp skink (Lissolepis coventryi): a cautionary tale of outdated survey guidelines." Wildlife Research 44, no. 7 (2017): 514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr17012.

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Context Cryptic (i.e. secretive, elusive or well camouflaged) species are often very challenging to accurately survey. Because many cryptic species are threatened, the development of robust and efficient survey methods to detect them is critically important for conservation management. The swamp skink (Lissolepis coventryi) is an example of an elusive and threatened species; it inhabits densely vegetated, wet environments throughout south-east Australia. The swamp skink occurs in peri-urban areas and faces many human-induced threats including habitat loss, introduced predators and environmental pollution. Effective and reliable survey methods are therefore essential for its conservation. Aims This study aimed to review the current swamp skink survey guidelines to compare the detection success of Elliott traps with two alternative methods: passive infrared cameras (camera traps) and artificial refuges. Methods Detection probabilities for the swamp skink were compared using Elliott traps, artificial refuges and camera traps at two known populations on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Key results Artificial refuges and camera traps were significantly more successful than Elliott traps at detecting swamp skinks. Conclusions Elliott traps are currently regarded as the standard technique for surveying swamp skinks; however, these traps were the least successful of the three methods trialled. Therefore, the use of Elliott traps in future swamp skink presence–absence surveys is not recommended. Implications Many previous surveys utilising Elliott traps have failed to detect swamp skinks in habitats where they are likely to occur. Our findings suggest that at least some of these past surveys may have reported false absences of swamp skinks, potentially resulting in poor planning decisions. A reduction in the reliance on Elliott trapping is likely to increase future swamp skink detection success, broaden our understanding of this cryptic species and aid conservation efforts. Our results emphasise that it is essential to regularly review recommended survey methods to ensure they are accurate and effective for target species.

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KIM, HEUNG-CHUL, SUNG-TAE CHONG, JAE-HWA SUH, SEOK-MIN YUN, WON-JA LEE, JIN-HAN KIM, CHANG-DEUK PARK, et al. "Ixodes nipponensis Kitaoka and Saito and Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae) Collected from Reptiles (lizards, skinks, and snakes) in the Republic of Korea, 2016." Systematic and Applied Acarology 23, no. 4 (April 30, 2018): 757. http://dx.doi.org/10.11158/saa.23.4.14.

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A survey of reptile-associated ticks was conducted from March–October 2016 to determine their relative abundance, stage of development, and geographic and host distributions among lizards, skinks, and snakes in the Republic of Korea. A total of 30 lizards (3 species), 5 skinks (1 species), and 63 snakes (10 species) were collected. A total of 66 ixodid ticks belonging to two species (Ixodes nipponensis and Amblyomma testudinarium) were collected from 11/30 (36.7%) lizards, 2/5 skinks (40.0%), and 6/63 snakes (9.5%). Ixodes nipponensis was collected only from lizards and skinks, while A. testudinarium was collected only from snakes. The Amur Grass lizard, Takydromus amurensis, had the highest tick index (3.0) (total number ticks/total number hosts) among lizards and skinks, while the Short-tailed Mamushi (Viperidae), Gloydius brevicaudus, had the highest tick index (0.57) among snakes. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs accounted for 46.4% and 53.6% of all ticks collected from lizards and skinks, respectively, while only A. testudinarium nymphs were collected from snakes. Nymphs of both species of ticks were collected from lizards, skinks, and snakes from March-September, while I. nipponensis larvae were collected only from June-September. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs were preferentially attached on the foreleg axillae (66.1%), followed by lateral trunk (23.2%) and head and near the eye (10.7%) of lizards and skinks. None of the ticks collected from lizards, skinks or snakes were positive for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV).

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Gorissen, Sarsha, Matthew Greenlees, and Richard Shine. "The impact of wildfire on an endangered reptile (Eulamprus leuraensis) in Australian montane swamps." International Journal of Wildland Fire 27, no. 7 (2018): 447. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wf17048.

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Intense fire is a key threatening process for the endangered Blue Mountains water skink, Eulamprus leuraensis. This species is restricted to isolated, densely vegetated and waterlogged peat swamps in montane south-eastern Australia. We surveyed 11 swamps (5 unburnt, 6 burnt) over 2 years, before and after the intense spring bushfires of 2013, to quantify the fires’ impacts on these skinks, other lizards and the habitat upon which they depend. Trapping revealed no direct effect of fire on E. leuraensis populations, with skinks persisting in all burnt swamps. Fire modified ground vegetation, virtually eliminating live plants and the dense understorey. Despite the conflagration, vegetation regrowth was rapid with swamp habitat largely recovering in just over 1 year post-fire. Fire thus had only a transitory effect on lizard habitat and a non-significant impact on E. leuraensis numbers. Nonetheless, broader-scale analyses suggest a different story: skinks were more abundant in swamps that had experienced a longer time since major fire. Although the ability of this endangered reptile to survive even intense wildfires is encouraging, fire during prolonged dry periods or an intensified fire regime might imperil skink populations.

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Vitt, Laurie J., and William E. Cooper. "Maternal Care in Skinks (Eumeces)." Journal of Herpetology 23, no. 1 (March 1989): 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1564312.

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McKinney, Megan A., Christine A. Schlesinger, and Chris R. Pavey. "Foraging behaviour of the endangered Australian skink (Liopholis slateri)." Australian Journal of Zoology 62, no. 6 (2014): 477. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo14071.

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The foraging behaviour of the endangered Australian skink (Liopholis slateri) was investigated through detailed observation of a subpopulation of lizards during seven months of sampling. Slater’s skinks primarily exhibited ambush predation, darting from burrow entrances to distances of up to 4 m with a success rate of ~70%. The direction of darting was often straight ahead and almost always in an 180° arc in front of the burrow entrance. Juveniles foraged more frequently and further from burrows than adults. Ants were the most common prey item taken and juveniles targeted small ants as prey more often than adults and often moved further to capture these prey. The spread of introduced buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) in central Australia in recent decades is a possible contributing factor to the decline of L. slateri. A wide field of view appears to be critical for the success of the sit-and-wait foraging strategy employed by the skinks and additional research is required to determine whether further encroachment of buffel grass around burrow systems will impede visibility and directly affect foraging behaviour of these skinks.

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Jones, C., G. Norbury, and T. Bell. "Impacts of introduced European hedgehogs on endemic skinks and weta in tussock grassland." Wildlife Research 40, no. 1 (2013): 36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr12164.

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Context Control of introduced pest species is based on the premise that there is a relationship between pest abundance and impact, but this relationship is rarely defined. Aim We investigated the impacts of introduced European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) on two species of small endemic skink (Oligosoma spp.) and flightless, nocturnal endemic orthopteran ground weta (Hemiandrus spp.), using an enclosure-based experimental manipulation of hedgehog density in tussock grasslands in the South Island of New Zealand. Methods We used capture–mark–recapture methods to estimate the densities of skinks before and after exposure to a range of hedgehog densities over a 3-month period and also compared changes in indices of abundance of skink demographic groups and ground weta. Key results Faecal analysis confirmed that hedgehogs consumed skinks and invertebrates in the enclosures. The proportional change between capture sessions in numbers of captured juvenile McCann’s skinks (O. maccanni) declined with increasing hedgehog density. Similarly, the proportional change in the numbers of ground weta encountered in pitfall traps showed a highly significant negative relationship with increasing hedgehog density. Total species abundances and numbers in other demographic skink groups did not change significantly in relation to hedgehog density. For overall skink abundance estimates, there was an apparent trend suggesting that changes in abundance were more negative with increasing hedgehog density, but this did not reach statistical significance for either skink species. Conclusions Our results confirmed that hedgehogs are important predators of small native fauna, but suggested that highly abundant prey populations may be buffered against significant impacts. Implications Less abundant prey and some demographic groups within populations, however, may be at significant risk from hedgehog predation.

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Mirza, Zeeshan A., Andrey M. Bragin, Harshal Bhosale, Gaurang G. Gowande, Harshil Patel, and Nikolay A. Poyarkov. "A new ancient lineage of ablepharine skinks (Sauria: Scincidae) from eastern Himalayas with notes on origin and systematics of the group." PeerJ 10 (January 18, 2022): e12800. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12800.

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The Himalayas represent a renowned biodiversity hotspot and an important biogeographic realm that has influenced origin and diversification of multiple taxa. A recent herpetological investigation of the eastern Himalayas of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh led to the discovery of a unique lineage of ablepharine skink, which is herein described as a new genus along with a new species. The findings are based an integrated taxonomic approach incorporating data from external morphology, microCT scans of the skull and molecular data. The molecular phylogeny of ablepharine skinks is also presented that suggests taxonomic amendments. Discovery of this unique lineage of skinks further highlights the biogeographic importance of the eastern Himalayas as a source for origin of several relic biota.

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JEWELL, TONY R. "New Zealand forest-dwelling skinks of the Oligosoma oliveri (McCann) species-complex (Reptilia: Scincidae): reinstatement of O. pachysomaticum (Robb) and an assessment of historical distribution ranges." Zootaxa 4688, no. 3 (October 23, 2019): 389–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4688.3.5.

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The forest-dwelling skinks of the Oligosoma oliveri (‘marbled skink’) species-complex, from the North Island of New Zealand, have proven difficult taxonomically because all mainland populations are extinct, obscuring patterns of distribution and population interaction. Twenty-four small insular populations have survived off the north-east coast of the North Island, which are at present classified into three species. In this paper I re-assess the available phenotypic, ecological, biogeographic and phylogenetic evidence associated with these skinks. As a result, O. pachysomaticum (Robb) is raised from synonymy with O. oliveri (McCann) and more precise historical distribution limits are inferred for each member of the group. Implications for the conservation management of each species are also discussed.

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Kostmann, Alexander, Lukáš Kratochvíl, and Michail Rovatsos. "Poorly differentiated XX/XY sex chromosomes are widely shared across skink radiation." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288, no. 1943 (January 20, 2021): 20202139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2139.

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Differentiated sex chromosomes are believed to be evolutionarily stable, while poorly differentiated sex chromosomes are considered to be prone to turnovers. With around 1700 currently known species forming ca 15% of reptile species diversity, skinks (family Scincidae) are a very diverse group of squamates known for their large ecological and morphological variability. Skinks generally have poorly differentiated and cytogenetically indistinguishable sex chromosomes, and their sex determination was suggested to be highly variable. Here, we determined X-linked genes in the common sandfish ( Scincus scincus ) and demonstrate that skinks have shared the same homologous XX/XY sex chromosomes across their wide phylogenetic spectrum for at least 85 million years, approaching the age of the highly differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes of birds and advanced snakes. Skinks thus demonstrate that even poorly differentiated sex chromosomes can be evolutionarily stable. The conservation of sex chromosomes across skinks allows us to introduce the first molecular sexing method widely applicable in this group.

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Schwarzkopf, Lin. "Costs of Reproduction in Water Skinks." Ecology 74, no. 7 (October 1993): 1970–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1940840.

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Tocher, Mandy D. "The diet of grand skinks(Oligosoma grande)and Otago skinks (O.otagense)in Otago seral tussock grasslands." New Zealand Journal of Zoology 30, no. 3 (January 2003): 243–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2003.9518342.

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Khvatov, I. A., A. Yu Sokolov, and A. N. Kharitonov. "Modifying body schemata in skinks Tiliqua gigas." Experimental Psychology (Russia) 9, no. 3 (2016): 54–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2016090305.

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Body schemata in skinks Tiliqua gigas were studied using a procedure in which the animals had to take into account the enlarged limits of their bodies while finding way through the holes of different diameters in the experimental setup. The skinks were demonstrated the ability to learn to take into account the natural limits of their bodies when interacting with environmental objects, and, when the limits of their bodies were changed, to modify the body schema, that is, to take into account the increase in their body size for orientation in the environment. The experimental index of the schema modification was the reduction of number of unsuccessful attempts to put the head into the holes through which their previously unmodified body could penetrate. The skinks also demonstrated the ability to transfer the previously formed habit to a new situation with changed positions of the holes.

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Civantos, Emilio, Rosa Arribas, and Jose Martín. "Niche occupancy of two (congeneric) skinks in an islands environment." Amphibia-Reptilia 41, no. 3 (June 30, 2020): 337–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10002.

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Abstract Among the scincid lizards inhabiting the Mediterranean region, the Ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus) and the little-known and endangered Chafarinas’ skink (Chalcides parallelus) co-occur in sympatry at the Chafarinas Islands (NW Africa). Although both species are present in the archipelago, C. ocellatus is spread in the three islands, but C. parallelus is present only in one island. What factors influence this distribution, and whether these two species show evidence for syntopy is unknown. In this study, we investigated spatial niche occupancy at the level of microhabitat of both skinks at the Chafarinas Islands. We tested for microhabitat differences between islands and then, we tested the null hypothesis of no differences between microhabitat used by each of these skink species and a set of locations chosen at random from the general habitat. Results showed that the distribution and abundance of available microhabitats were different among islands, thus each island has different spatial niches that may be important in distinguishing the areas occupied by these skinks. Results also revealed that C. ocellatus did not use available microhabitats at random, but preferentially selected particular microhabitats. However, C. parallelus used microhabitats according to their availability, although it showed some aspects of habitat selection similar to C. ocellatus. Our results showed that the inclusion of detailed microhabitat descriptors could be useful for understanding patterns of niche occupancy by these skinks species. Furthermore, to our knowledge this is the first study documenting the spatial niche selection of C. parallelus and provides novel ecological information that may be of major importance to develop management strategies that will help to conserve this endangered species.

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Diep, Chi Thi Le, and Nho Thi Vo. "EFFECTS OF INFRARED LIGHT ON THE SURVIVAL RATE OF COMMON SUN SKINK (Eutropis multifasciata) IN A SEMI-NATURAL HABITAT IN QUANG BINH PROVINCE, VIET NAM." Scientific Journal of Tra Vinh University 1, no. 38 (May 14, 2020): 89–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.35382/18594816.1.38.2020.560.

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This study aimed to determine the effects of infrared lamps on survival rates of mature and immature common sun skinks (Eutropis multifasciata) in semi-natural conditions in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, in the cold weather. A sample size of 400 mature (28 weeks old) and 120 immature common sun skinks were used in a completely randomized design with two variables of different lighting methods: infrared and incandescent light. Suitable food and water were freely provided. Results showed that the survival rates of the mature and juvenile common sun skinks were 82.5% and 39.2% with infrared light and 30.5% and 0% with incandescent light. Compared to incandescent light, the growth of young offsprings in the first 4 weeks after birth was greater with the infrared light and the average cumulative growth weight reached 2.18 g per individualby the fourth week. With incandescent light, common sun skinks lost their weight over time and gradually died out by the third week. Thus, infrared light which can be used to warm up pens may be an effective techniquein raising common sun skinks in semi-natural conditions in Quang Binh.

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Du, W. G., L. Shou, and J. Y. Shen. "Habitat selection in two sympatric Chinese skinks, Eumeces elegans and Sphenomorphus indicus: do thermal preferences matter?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 84, no. 9 (September 2006): 1300–1306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-116.

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We studied the habitat selection and thermal biology of two sympatric Chinese skinks ( Eumeces elegans Boulenger, 1887 and Sphenomorphus indicus (Schmidt, 1928)) to test the effect of thermal preference on habitat partitioning. We measured thermal and structural attributes of the microhabitats occupied by these two skink species, as well as their field body temperatures and activity patterns. We then quantified the preferred body temperatures of these species in a thermal gradient. Compared with S. indicus, E. elegans occupied microhabitats with fewer trees, more rocks, and higher ambient temperatures. Active S. indicus were mainly found in the morning, whereas active E. elegans were found at noon. The thermal environment of the microhabitats at these two periods correlated with the skinks’ thermal preferences. Preferred temperatures of E. elegans were significantly higher than those of S. indicus. These results support (i) the hypothesis that habitat partitioning between ectotherms is related to interspecific differences in thermal requirements; (ii) the labile hypothesis that describes the adaptability of thermal physiology, because the two sympatric skinks, which select different thermal environments, differed in thermal physiology; and (iii) the cold-climate hypothesis that explains the evolution of viviparity, because viviparous S. indicus occupy colder habitats than do oviparous E. elegans.

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Brothers, Nigel, Alan Wiltshire, David Pemberton, Nick Mooney, and Brian Green. "The feeding ecology and field energetics of the Pedra Branca skink (Niveoscincus palfreymani)." Wildlife Research 30, no. 1 (2003): 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr01103.

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The diet and food requirements of free-living Pedra Branca skinks (Niveoscincus palfreymani) were studied on Pedra Branca Island, the only known location for this vulnerable, endemic species. While discarded fish remains and regurgitate from seabirds are utilised as food by the skinks during summer, invertebrates represent the most important prey. Isotope turnover rates indicate that feeding is negligible over winter and that significant amounts of non-food water are turned over during summer, either by drinking rainwater or as pulmo-cutaneous water exchange. An assessment is made of the seasonal and annual food requirements of individual skinks and the population.

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Wu, Lian, Yao Tong, Sam Pedro Galilee Ayivi, Kenneth B. Storey, Jia-Yong Zhang, and Dan-Na Yu. "The Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Three Sphenomorphinae Species (Squamata: Scincidae) and the Selective Pressure Analysis on Mitochondrial Genomes of Limbless Isopachys gyldenstolpei." Animals 12, no. 16 (August 9, 2022): 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12162015.

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In order to adapt to diverse habitats, organisms often evolve corresponding adaptive mechanisms to cope with their survival needs. The species-rich family of Scincidae contains both limbed and limbless species, which differ fundamentally in their locomotor demands, such as relying on the movement of limbs or only body swing to move. Locomotion requires energy, and different types of locomotion have their own energy requirements. Mitochondria are the energy factories of living things, which provide a lot of energy for various physiological activities of organisms. Therefore, mitochondrial genomes could be tools to explore whether the limb loss of skinks are selected by adaptive evolution. Isopachys gyldenstolpei is a typical limbless skink. Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genomes of I. gyldenstolpei, Sphenomorphus indicus, and Tropidophorus hainanus. The latter two species were included as limbed comparator species to the limbless I. gyldenstolpei. The results showed that the full lengths of the mitochondrial genomes of I. gyldenstolpei, S. indicus, and T. hainanus were 17,210, 16,944, and 17,001 bp, respectively. Three mitochondrial genomes have typical circular double-stranded structures similar to other reptiles, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and the control region. Three mitochondrial genomes obtained in this study were combined with fifteen mitochondrially complete genomes of Scincidae in the NCBI database; the phylogenetic relationship between limbless I. gyldenstolpei and limbed skinks (S. indicus and T. hainanus) is discussed. Through BI and ML trees, Sphenomorphinae and Mabuyinae were monophyletic, while the paraphyly of Scincinae was also recovered. The limbless skink I. gyldenstolpei is closer to the species of Tropidophorus, which has formed a sister group with (T. hainanus + T. hangman). In the mitochondrial genome adaptations between limbless I. gyldenstolpei and limbed skinks, one positively selected site was found in the branch-site model analysis, which was located in ND2 (at position 28, BEB value = 0.907). Through analyzing the protein structure and function of the selected site, we found it was distributed in mitochondrial protein complex I. Positive selection of some mitochondrial genes in limbless skinks may be related to the requirement of energy to fit in their locomotion. Further research is still needed to confirm this conclusion though.

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Norris, T. Bruce. "Chromosomes of New Zealand Skinks, Genus Oligosoma." Journal of Herpetology 37, no. 2 (April 2003): 368–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1670/0022-1511(2003)037[0368:conzsg]2.0.co;2.

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Bradford, Carol M., Mary C. Denver, Ellen Bronson, James Bradford, and Stan Martin. "Hypercalcemia in Prehensile-Tailed Skinks (Corucia zebrata)." Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 19, no. 2 (January 2009): 57–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.5818/1529-9651.19.2.57.

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Whiting, Alison S., Jack W. Sites, and Aaron M. Bauer. "Molecular phylogenetics of Malagasy skinks (Squamata: Scincidae)." African Journal of Herpetology 53, no. 2 (December 2004): 135–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2004.9635506.

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MIRALLES, AURÉLIEN, JUAN CARLOS CHAPARRO, and MICHAEL B. HARVEY. "Three rare and enigmatic South American skinks." Zootaxa 2012, no. 1 (February 16, 2009): 47–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2012.1.3.

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Three enigmatic skinks, Mabuya nigropalmata Andersson, 1918, Tiliqua maculata Gray, 1839, and Trachylepis (Xystrolepis) punctata, Tschudi, 1845, have been reported from widely separated localities on the South American mainland. They remain the three rarest and most poorly known South American skinks and were known only from type material until recently. In this paper, we comment on recent rediscoveries of M. nigropalmata in the western Amazon of Peru and Bolivia. Using cytochrome b and 12S DNA sequences, we resolve this species’s phylogenetic position within Mabuya sensu stricto and demonstrate its specific distinctiveness, especially from the superficially similar species M. frenata. In addition, we show that neither Trachylepis (Xystrolepis) punctata nor Tiliqua maculata can be placed within Mabuya. A suite of morphological characteristics requires the transfer of these two species to the mostly Afro-Malagasy genus Trachylepis. To correct the secondary homonymy of Tschudi’s name, we propose a replacement name for T. punctata. We designate NRM 23258A as the lectotype of Mabuya nigropalmata Andersson and MNHN 2932 as the lectotype of Trachylepis maculata (Gray) new combination. Finally, we propose an identification key to Mabuya of the Amazon basin and adjacent regions.

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Brown, R. P., N. M. Suarez, A. Smith, and J. Pestano. "Phylogeography of Cape Verde Island skinks (Mabuya)." Molecular Ecology 10, no. 6 (June 2001): 1593–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01297.x.

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Donnellan, S. C. "Chromosomes of Australian lygosomine skinks (Lacertilia: Scincidae)." Genetica 83, no. 3 (April 1991): 207–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf00126227.

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Donnellan, S. C. "Chromosomes of Australian lygosomine skinks (Lacertilia: Scincidae)." Genetica 83, no. 3 (April 1991): 223–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf00126228.

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J. Wedding, Chris, Weihong Ji, and Dianne H. Brunton. "Implications of visitations by Shore Skinks Oligosoma smithi to bait stations containing brodifacoum in a dune system in New Zealand." Pacific Conservation Biology 16, no. 2 (2010): 86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc100086.

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Brodifacoum is a highly toxic, second-generation anticoagulant developed for the control of rodent pests. However, information regarding the impacts of brodifacoum on non-target wildlife has been largely collected opportunistically and is generally avian biased. Reviews of non-target impacts of brodifacoum routinely regard reptiles and amphibians as low risk, despite there being no formal evidence supporting this assumption. Recent evidence suggests that some native lizard species will consume cereal baits in addition to toxin-loaded invertebrates. As part of a wider study, we quantified visitation rates to brodifacoum bait stations by Shore Skinks Oligosoma smithi, and recorded the first observation of this species consuming toxic bait. Bait stations (n = 56) recorded up to 81.5% tracking incidence by Shore Skinks across one of two pest-controlled grids. Skinks were occasionally observed inside bait stations feeding on invertebrates. Of the 805 skinks caught in pitfall traps over the 6 month period, none showed clinical or behavioural signs of anticoagulant toxicosis. Further research into the acute toxicity and chronic sub-lethal impacts of pesticides on herpetofauna is required before potential impacts on these fauna can be dismissed.

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Freitas, Elyse S., Aniruddha Datta-Roy, Praveen Karanth, L. Lee Grismer, and Cameron D. Siler. "Multilocus phylogeny and a new classification for African, Asian and Indian supple and writhing skinks (Scincidae: Lygosominae)." Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186, no. 4 (April 5, 2019): 1067–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz001.

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AbstractThe genera Lepidothyris, Lygosoma and Mochlus comprise the writhing or supple skinks, a group of semi-fossorial, elongate-bodied skinks distributed across the Old World Tropics. Due to their generalized morphology and lack of diagnostic characters, species- and clade-level relationships have long been debated. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies of the group have provided some clarification of species-level relationships, but a number of issues regarding higher level relationships among genera still remain. Here we present a phylogenetic estimate of relationships among species in Lygosoma, Mochlus and Lepidothyris generated by concatenated and species tree analyses of multilocus data using the most extensive taxonomic sampling of the group to date. We also use multivariate statistics to examine species and clade distributions in morpho space. Our results reject the monophyly of Lygosoma s.l., Lygosoma s.s. and Mochlus, which highlights the instability of the current taxonomic classification of the group. We, therefore, revise the taxonomy of the writhing skinks to better reflect the evolutionary history of Lygosoma s.l. by restricting Lygosoma for Southeast Asia, resurrecting the genus Riopa for a clade of Indian and Southeast Asian species, expanding the genus Mochlus to include all African species of writhing skinks and describing a new genus in Southeast Asia.

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Sun, Bao-Jun, Wei-Guo Du, and Lin Shu. "Effects of temperature and food availability on selected body temperature and locomotor performance of Plestiodon (Eumeces) chinensis (Scincidae)." Animal Biology 60, no. 3 (2010): 337–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157075610x516547.

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AbstractRemarkable temporal and spatial variations occur on selected body temperature (Tsel) and locomotor performance for Plestiodon (Eumeces) chinensis, commonly known as Chinese skinks. However, the significance of these variations remains elusive. This study focuses on the effects of thermal environment and food availability on P. chinensis's Tsel and locomotor performance. The duration of thermal treatment (4h and 8h) displayed significant effects on Tsel, additionally the effects of thermal treatment were also dependent on food-availability. There was no significant variation in skink's Tsel under diverse thermal treatments when sufficient food was available. However, with insufficient food source, the Tsel decreased with decrease in the duration of thermal treatment. Thermal acclimation also affected locomotor performance of P. chinensis, as the 8h thermal treatment enhanced their locomotor performance. However, food availability alone had no significant impact on the locomotor performance. Therefore, the combination of thermal acclimation and food availability could cause variations in Tsel and locomotor performance of skinks, suggesting that thermal environment and food condition in nature are important factors involved in temporal and spatial variations for Tsel and locomotor performance.

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Siler, Cameron D., Robin M. Jones, Luke J. Welton, and Rafe M. Brown. "Redescription of Tetradactyl Philippine Slender Skinks (Genus Brachymeles)." Herpetologica 67, no. 3 (September 2011): 300–317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1655/herpetologica-d-10-00071.1.

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Escoriza, Daniel, Guillem Pascual, and Alberto Sánchez-Vialas. "Habitat use in south-west European skinks (genusChalcides)." PeerJ 6 (January 12, 2018): e4274. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4274.

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BackgroundCongeneric species of reptiles frequently exhibit partitioning in terms of their use of habitats or trophic resources in order to reduce competition. In this study, we investigated habitat use by two species of European skinks:Chalcides bedriagaiandChalcides striatus, based on 49 records from southern France, Spain, and Portugal.MethodsWe measured three levels of niche descriptors: macroscale (climate, topography, and substrate), mesoscale (plant associations), and microscale (vegetation cover and shelters). We assessed the associations between these environmental descriptors and the occurrence of the skinks.ResultsOur results showed that the two species occupied opposite extremes of the ecological gradient i.e.,C. bedriagaiin semi-arid environments andC. striatusin temperate-oceanic environments, but there was broad ecological overlap in transitional climates at all of the habitat scales examined. This overlap was demonstrated by the presence of syntopy in geographically distant sites with different environmental characteristics.DiscussionThe morphological differences between the two species, and possibly their different use of microhabitats, might favor this mesoscale overlap between congeneric species, which is relatively unusual in Mediterranean lizards.

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Bennett, Albert F., and Henry John-Alder. "Thermal Relations of Some Australian Skinks (Sauria: Scincidae)." Copeia 1986, no. 1 (February 10, 1986): 57. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1444888.

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Barter, Mahalia, Luke R. Bonifacio, Andressa Duran, Celine T. Goulet, Reid Tingley, Glenn M. Shea, Shai Meiri, David G. Chapple, and Brody Sandel. "Predictors of geographic range size in Australian skinks." Global Ecology and Biogeography 31, no. 1 (November 2021): 113–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.13419.

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Montoya, Isabel, and K. C. Burns. "Community-wide character displacement in New Zealand skinks." Journal of Biogeography 34, no. 12 (December 2007): 2139–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2007.01746.x.

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LEONARD, CECIL J. "AXIAL HYPERTROPHY ASSOCIATED WITH LIMB REGRESSION IN SKINKS." Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 36, no. 1 (August 1989): 78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/04416651.1989.9650242.

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Yang, Chun, Lin Li, Zhaoting Kou, Huihui Zhang, Limin Wang, Yu Zhao, and Niu Zhu. "Telencephalon Cytoarchitecture of tsinling dwarf skinks (Scincella tsinlingensis)." Micron 130 (March 2020): 102799. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2019.102799.

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Arena, Derrick A., Michael Archer, Henk Godthelp, Suzanne J. Hand, and Scott Hocknull. "Hammer-toothed ‘marsupial skinks' from the Australian Cenozoic." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 278, no. 1724 (April 20, 2011): 3529–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.0486.

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Extinct species of Malleodectes gen. nov. from Middle to Late Miocene deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland, Australia are enigmatic, highly specialized, probably snail-eating marsupials. Dentally, they closely resemble a bizarre group of living heterodont, wet forest scincid lizards from Australia ( Cyclodomorphus ) that may well have outcompeted them as snail-eaters when the closed forests of central Australia began to decline. Although there are scincids known from the same Miocene deposits at Riversleigh, these are relatively plesiomorphic, generalized feeders. This appears to be the most striking example known of dental convergence and possible competition between a mammal and a lizard, which in the long run worked out better for the lizards.

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MANICOM, CARRYN, and LIN SCHWARZKOPF. "Diet and prey selection of sympatric tropical skinks." Austral Ecology 36, no. 5 (September 28, 2010): 485–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02181.x.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Skinks'

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