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Pygmaeascincus timlowi (INGRAM, 1977)

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Dwarf Litter-skink 
SynonymMenetia timlowi INGRAM 1977
Lygisaurus timlowi — INGRAM & COVACEVICH 1988
Menetia timlowi — GREER 1991
Menetia timlowi — COGGER 2000: 541
Menetia timlowi — WILSON & SWAN 2010: 318
Menetia timlowi — COGGER 2014: 658
Pygmaeascincus timlowi — COUPER & HOSKIN 2014
Pygmeascincus timlowi — CHAPPLE et al. 2023 (in error, by implication) 
DistributionAustralia (Queensland)

Type locality: Barmount, 80 km NW of Marlborough, 22° 32’ S, 149° 06’ E, mideastern Qld.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: QM J24940 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): Pygmaeascincus is a genus of small litter skinks that is distinguished from all other Australian skinks by the following character states: small size (SVL < 30 mm); limbs short and widely separated when adpressed; digital formula 4/5 (four fingers, five toes) with ≤ 10 supradigital scales on fourth toe; frontoparietals and interparietal fused into a single shield; eyelid preablepharine; supraoculars transverse, ≤ 3, squarish, with only the 1st contacting the frontal.


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CommentType species: Menetia timlowi INGRAM 1977 is the type species of the genus Pygmaeascincus COUPER & HOSKIN 2014. Pygmaescincus corresponds to the Menetia timlowi species group fide Greer 1991.

Greer 1991: 272 has a table comparing the 3 members of the genus. 
EtymologyFrom the Latin pygmaea for pygmy. Referring to the very small size of the three species. These skinks, at SVL < 30 mm, are amongst the smallest skinks in the world (Greer 2001). The species has been named after Tim Low who apparently discovered it. 
References
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Couper, P., Covacevich, J., Amey, A. & Baker, A. 2006. The genera of skinks (Family Scincidae) of Australia and its island territories: diversity, distribution and identification. in: Merrick, J.R., Archer, M., Hickey, G.M. & Lee, M.S.Y. (eds.). Evolution and Zoogeography of Australasian Vertebrates. Australian Scientific Publishing, Sydney, pp. 367-384
  • COUPER, PATRICK J.; CONRAD J. HOSKIN 2014. A new genus to accommodate three skinks currently assigned to Menetia (Lacertilia: Scincidae). Zootaxa 3884 (6): 597–599 - get paper here
  • Greer A E 1991. Two new species of Menetia from northeastern Queensland, with comments on the generic diagnoses of Lygisaurus and Menetia. Journal of Herpetology 25 (3): 268-272 - get paper here
  • Greer, Allen E. 2001. Distribution of maximum snout-vent length among species of Scincid lizards. Journal of Herpetology 35 (3): 383-395 - get paper here
  • Ingram G J 1977. Three species of small lizards - two of them new. Genus Menetia (Lacertilia, Scincidae) in Queensland. Victorian Naturalist 94: 184-187 - get paper here
  • Ingram G; Covacevich J 1988. Revision of the genus Lygisaurus de Vis (Scincidae: Reptilia) in Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 25 (2): 335-354 - get paper here
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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