Cyclodomorphus branchialis (GÜNTHER, 1867)
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Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Egerniinae (Tiliquini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Common Slender Bluetongue, Gunther's Skink |
Synonym | Hinulia branchialis GÜNTHER 1867: 47 Lygosoma gastrostigma BOULENGER 1898: 918 Lygosoma (Homolepida) woodjonesii PROCTER 1923 Tiliqua branchiale — SMITH 1937: 233 Tiliqua wood-jonesii — SMITH 1937: 233 Tiliqua gastrostigma — SMITH 1937: 233 Tiliqua gastrostigma — GLAUERT 1960: 70 Tiliqua gastrostigma — GLAUERT 1960: 70 Tiliqua branchialis — FORD 1963 Omolepida branchialis — STORR 1976 Tiliqua branchialis — COGGER 1983: 189 Cyclodomorphus branchialis — SHEA & MILLER 1995 Cyclodomorphus branchialis — COGGER 2000: 452 Cyclodomorphus branchialis — WILSON & SWAN 2010 |
Distribution | Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; Tasmania [fide SMITH 1937]) Type locality: Champion Bay, W. A. |
Reproduction | ovovivparous |
Types | Lectotype: BMNH 1946.8.19.48. Designation by Wells & Wellington (1985). Holotype: BMNH 1946.8.9.87, from Sherlock River, Nickol Bay, W. A. [Lygosoma gastrostigma] Syntypes: BMNH 1946.8.17.97-99 (3 adults and 2 embryos), from St. Francis Is., S. A. [Lygosoma (Homolepida) woodjonesii] |
Diagnosis | Description: “This small short-limbed species is very attenuated, the distance from the tip of the snout to the fore limb being contained from 2 to to 2.5 in the distance from the axilla to the groin. Snout short, lower eyelid scaly, 5th upper labial under the centre of the eye, 6th largest. Ear opening small with a single lobule. Three pairs of enlarged nuchals. Scales round the body smooth, the two vertebral scries the largest, and the laterals smallest. Limbs short, the fore limb shorter than the head and nearly 5 times in the distance between the axilla and the groin; hind limbs slightly longer. Tail shorter than the head and body. Coloration: The colour varies. Specimens from Newmarracarra near Gerald ton are pale brown above with a black spot or short stripe on each scale and series of black spots forming lines from the side of the head to the chin and throat, together with 3 large black spots on each side of the neck.” (Glauert 1960) |
Comment | Synonymy partly after COGGER 1983. Lygosoma melanops STIRLING & ZIETZ 1893 and Lygosoma (Homolepida) branchiale elongatum WERNER 1910 have been synonymized with Cyclodomorphus branchialis by COGGER 1983 (who used the name Tiliqua branchialis). |
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