Cryptoblepharus virgatus

Cryptoblepharus virgatus, also commonly known as striped snake-eyed skink, cream-striped shinning-skink,[2] wall skink,[3] fence skink or snake-eyed skink is a skink commonly found in southern and eastern Australia.[4] It is an active little lizard, and if threatened will often play dead to confuse the attacker.

Cryptoblepharus virgatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Cryptoblepharus
Species:
C. virgatus
Binomial name
Cryptoblepharus virgatus
(Garman, 1901)
Fence skinks may grow up to 10cm in length.

Description

It is a relatively small, flat bodied skink of a silver-gray coloring. It has a distinct white stripe running along its body from the eye to the base of its tail. It typically grows to a length of around 4 cm (1.6 in)[3] but may grow up to be around 10 cm (3.9 in) in length.[5] Also sometimes called a snake-eyed skink because it lacks eyelids, instead having a translucent layer of scales covering its eyes similar to that of snakes. The skink has around five supraciliary scales, with 22 rows of scales on the midbody and eight plantar scales that are rounded and pale plantar scales.[3]

Taxonomy

The species was first formally identified by the herpetologist Samuel Garman in 1901 as part of the work Some reptiles and batrachians from Australasia as published in the Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard.[2] The species name is Latin for striped.[3]

Habitat

The range of the skink is in north eastern Queensland[3] and into Papua New Guinea.[2] Its habitats include urban areas, woodlands and grasslands.[1] Will often be seen on vertical surfaces such trees, fences and walls.

References
  1. Hoskin, C., Couper, P. & Amey, A. 2018. Cryptoblepharus virgatus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T42483576A42483585. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T42483576A42483585.en. Downloaded on 21 February 2020.
  2. "Cryptoblepharus virgatus (Garman, 1901) Striped Snake-Eyed Skink". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. Stewart McDonald. "Wall skink Cryptoblepharus virgatus - (Garman, 1901)". Australian Reptile Online Database. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  4. Cryptoblepharus virgatus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 January 2020.
  5. "Wall Skink (Cryptoblepharus virgatus)". Australian Wildlife. Ozanimals. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
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