Anomalopus swansoni GREER & COGGER, 1985
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Anomalopus swansoni
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Punctate Worm-skink |
| Synonym | Anomalopus (Vermiseps) swansoni GREER & COGGER 1985: 23 Lygosoma swansoni Anomalopus swansoni — COGGER 2000: 385 Anomalopus swansoni — WILSON & SWAN 2010 |
| Distribution | Australia (New South Wales) Type locality: Raymond Terrace area, Newcastle, NSW |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: AMS (AM) R67162, collected by R. Wells & R. Cook, 2.xii.1973. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Differs from all other Anomalopus in the following combination of characters: limbs totally lacking; supraciliary row complete; loreals 2. Description. A medium-sized, limbless skink with predominantly light to dark dorsal ground colour but with slight aggregations of pigment in the centre of each dorsal scale giving a punctate or striped pattern. Rostral trilobed with blunt, round. medial lobe projecting partially or completely between nasals to level just posterior to nostril and 2 lateral lobes projecting to same level; frontonasal wider than long (1.6-2.3 x); prefrontals moderate in size, widely separated; frontal slightly wider than long (1.1-1.3 x) supraoculars usually 3, rarely 2, only first in contact with frontal; frontoparietals distinct, in contact, each shorter than interparietal; interparietal distinct with dark parietal eye evident at base of posterior lobe; parietals meet behind interparietal, each bordered posterolaterally by large, upper secondary temporal, nuchal and 2 scales intercalated between; nuchals undifferentiated (i.e., not enlarged). Nasals greatly enlarged, usually narrowly separated but rarely in contact; nostril situated slightly below and well forward of centre; loreals 2, anterior larger; preoculars 2; supraciliaries 4, in continuous series, first separated from frontal, third interdigitates between second and third supraoculars when these scales distinct; suboculars 4, large, in continuous series and interdigitating with supralabials; lower eyelid movable and scaly; pretemporals 2, first usually not contacted by frontoparietal (86.5070, N = 89) but occasionally so (13.5%); primary temporal single; secondary temporals 2, upper overlaps lower; external ear opening completely covered by scaly epidermis, its former position indicated by shallow vertical depression; supralabials 6, first by far largest, fourth smallest and generally situated below centre of eye, although occasionally suture between third and fourth supralabials subocular; postsupralabial single; infralabials 6, first 2 in contact with postmental; mental large, wider than long (1.4-1.5 x); postmental very much wider than long; 3 pairs of enlarged chin scales, first pair usually slightly separated by 1 scale, second pair well separated by 1 scale and third pair by 3 scales. Body scales smooth, in 22-26 longitudinal rows at midbody; paravertebral scales same size as more lateral scales, 115-138 in a single row; inner preanals overlap outer, medial pair of preanals enlarged; medial row of subcaudals same size as more lateral rows. Snout-vent length 44-107 mm; tail bluntly rounded 0.64-0.84 x SVL; limbs totally lacking (GREER & COGGER 1985: 23). |
| Comment | Limb morphology: 0 digits 0 toes (Limbless, Singhal et al. 2018, Brandley et al 2008) |
| Etymology | Named after Stephen Swanson, a herpetologist who wrote Lizards of Australia (1987). |
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