Coeranoscincus frontalis (DE VIS, 1888)
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Coeranoscincus frontalis
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Limbless Snake-tooth Skink |
| Synonym | Ophioscincus frontalis DE VIS 1888: 823 Anomalopus frontalis — COGGER 1983: 135 Coeranoscincus frontalis — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985: 26 Coeranoscincus frontalis — GREER & COGGER 1985 Coeranoscincus frontalis — COGGER 2000: 402 Coeranoscincus frontalis — WILSON & SWAN 2010 Coeranoscincus frontalis — SKINNER et al. 2013 |
| Distribution | Australia (Queensland) Type locality: Innisfail (as Geraldton), Qld. |
| Reproduction | oviparous (phylogenetic imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Syntypes: QM J243, QM J11499, QM J19737-41 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Coeranoscincus differs from all other members of the Sphenomorphus group in Australia in the following combination of derived character states: snout slightly conical; nasals slightly enlarged; prefrontals separated (although often only barely in C. frontalis); supraoculars 3 (primitive supraoculars 3 and 4 fused or one lost - cf. Anomalopus (Vermiseps) and Ophioscincus); first supraciliary contacts frontal; supraciliaries 6 or less; supralabials 6, fourth below centre of eye; infralabials 5; ear opening absent; size large (maximum size of smaller species = 195 mm). Maxilla-frontal contact; pre- and postfrontals closely apposed above orbit; quadratal conch lacking; supratemporal fenestra obliterated by apposition of supratemporal arch to parietal; premaxillary teeth':;; 8; teeth pointed and recurved; palatal rami of pterygoids moderately separated. Presacral vertebrae ≥ 52; complete inscriptional chevrons ≥ 12; manus lacks intermedium and pisiform, distal carpals 1 and 5 and metacarpal 1, and has phalanges reduced to 0.2.3.3.0 or less; pes has astragalus and calcaneum distinct, lacks metatarsal 1 and has phalanges reduced to 0.2.3.3.0; sternal ribs ≤ 2; mesosternal ribs 1. Parietal peritoneum lacks pigment. Three characters in the foregoing suite are not necessarily associated with burrowing and therefore provide the primary reason for hypothesizing the monophyly of the group: large size, premaxillary teeth ~ 8, teeth pointed and recurved, and palatal rami of pterygoids slightly separated medially. It should be noted that this diagnosis differs substantially from that of Wells & Wellington (1984) (Greer & Cogger 1985: 41) |
| Comment | Type species: Ophioscincus frontalis DE VIS 1888: 823 is the type species of the genus Coeranoscincus WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985. Phylogenetics: see Singhal et al. 2017 and 2018 for a phylogeny of Australian sphenomorphine skinks. Limb morphology: 0 digits 0 toes (Limbless, Singhal et al. 2018, Cogger 2014) Morphology: Hutchinson et al. 2021 present a table of morphological character states across 20 Australian sphenomorphine skinks, including this genus. |
| Etymology | Presumably named after the Latin frons (the brow) or the frontal scale more particularly, plus the suffix -alis (relating to). The reference is unclear, as de Vis did not make any special note of this region in his species description. (G. Shea, pers. comm., 9 Feb 2024) |
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