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Gongylomorphus bojerii (DESJARDIN, 1831)

IUCN Red List - Gongylomorphus bojerii - Critically Endangered, CR
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Higher TaxaScincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Bojer's Skink 
SynonymScincus bojerii DESJARDIN 1831: 296
Gongylus Bojerii — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 625
Scelotes bojeri — BOULENGER 1887: 409
Gongylomorphus bojeri — GREER 1970
Gongylomorphus bojerii — BRYGOO 1981
Scelotes bojerii — BULLOCK 1986
Scelotes bojerii — NORTH et al. 1994
Thyrus bojeri ? (O’SHEA, pers. comm.)
Gongylomorphus bojeri — AUSTIN & ARNOLD 2006
Gongylomophus bojeri — KOPIJ 2025 (in error) 
DistributionMascarenes, Mauritius (Round Island, Gunner's Quoin [Coin de Mire], Reunion ?)  
Reproductionoviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) 
TypesHolotype: lost, MNHN-RA, apparently lost (Brygoo 1985); not traced at MNHN (I. Ineich, March 2019) 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): Skull characters: Palatine bones and palatal rami of pterygoids meeting medially; palatal rami of pterygoids "squared-off," not emarginated posteriorly as in the following two genera; pterygoid teeth absent (Fig. 7 in GREER 1970). Postorbital bone distinct, well developed; supratemporal arch well developed; 16 teeth on maxilla and 11 teeth on premaxillae. External characters: Interparietal small, not touching supraoculars; frontoparietals present (absent in all other subsaharan Africa, Madagascar, or west Indian Ocean island scincines); ear opening a horizontal slit; 38 longitudinal scale rows at midbody; digits 5-5 [from GREER 1970].


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CommentConservation: Probably extinct on Reunion.

Type species: Scincus bojerii DESJARDIN 1831 is the type species of the genus Gongylomorphus FITZINGER 1843.

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
EtymologyNamed after Wenzel Bojer (1800-1856), a Czech naturalist. He collected in tropical Africa. He was Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Pamplemousses, Mauritius (1948- 1949).

The genus name was not specifically explained by Fitzinger (1843), but likely from the combination of Gongylus Wagler, 1830, a skink genus, itself derived from the Greek gongylos (rounded, presumably in reference to the body cross sectional shape), plus Greek morphe, Latinised to morphus (shape). 
References
  • Austin, J. J. & Arnold, E.N. 2006. Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39 (2): 503-511 - get paper here
  • Austin, J.J.; Arnold, E.N. & Jones, C.G. 2009. Interrelationships and history of the slit-eared skinks (Gongylomorphus, Scincidae) of the Mascarene islands, based on mitochondrial DNA and nuclear gene sequences. Zootaxa 2153: 55–68 - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G. A. 1887. Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Anelytropsidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. London: 575 pp. - get paper here
  • Brygoo, E.R. 1985. Les types des scincidés (Reptiles, Sauriens) du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, catalogue critique. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. (4e sér.) 7 (sect. A 3), suppl.: 1-126
  • Brygoo,E.R. 1981. Systématique des lézards scincides de la région malgache. IX. Nouvelles unités taxinomiques pour les Scelotes s.l. Bull. Mus. natl. Hist. nat. Paris, 4th ser., Sect. A., 3 (4): 1193-1204
  • Bullock, David J. 1986. The Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles on Round Island and Gunner's Quoin, Mauritius. Biological Conservation 37: 135 156 - get paper here
  • Desjardin, J. 1831. Sur trois espèces de lézard du genre scinque, qui habitent l'île Maurice (Ile-de-France). Ann. Sci. Nat. Paris 22: 292-299 - get paper here
  • Duméril, A. M. C. and G. Bibron. 1839. Erpétologie Générale on Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Vol. 5. Roret/Fain et Thunot, Paris, 871 pp. - get paper here
  • Garbutt N 1992. The reptiles of Round Island, Mauritius. HERPTILE 17 (4): 157-170
  • Kopij, G. 2025. Alien Mammals in the Afrotropical Region and Their Impact on the Vertebrate Biodiversity: A Review. Preprint - get paper here
  • North S G; Bullock D J; Dulloo M E 1994. Changes in the vegetation and reptile populations on Round Island, Mauritius, following eradication of rabbits. Biological Conservation 67 (1) (1993): 21-28 - get paper here
  • Uetz, P.H.; Patel, M.; Gbadamosi, Z.; Nguyen, A.; Shoope, S. 2024. A Reference Database of Reptile Images. Taxonomy 4: 723–732 - get paper here
  • Vinson, J., and J. M. Vinson. 1969. The saurian fauna of the Mascarene Islands.nson 1969 Mauritius Institute Bulletin, 6:203-320 [1969]
  • Vinson, Jean-Michel 1973. A new skink of the genus Gongylomorphus from Macabé forest (Mauritius). Rev. agric. sucr. Île Maurice 52: 39-40
  • Zimin, A., Zimin, S. V., Shine, R., Avila, L., Bauer, A., Böhm, M., Brown, R., Barki, G., de Oliveira Caetano, G. H., Castro Herrera, F., Chapple, D. G., Chirio, L., Colli, G. R., Doan, T. M., Glaw, F., Grismer, L. L., Itescu, Y., Kraus, F., LeBreton 2022. A global analysis of viviparity in squamates highlights its prevalence in cold climates. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 00, 1–16 - get paper here
 
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