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Lerista muelleri (FISCHER, 1881)

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Wood Mulch-slider 
SynonymPhaneropis muelleri FISCHER 1881: 236
Ablepharus muelleri — MONTAGUE 1914: 641
Ablepharus muelleri — MERTENS 1934: 67
Ablepharus muelleri — GLAUERT 1960: 121
Lerista muelleri — GREER 1967
Lerista muelleri — STORR 1976: 247
Lerista muelleri — COGGER 1983: 175
Miculia muelleri — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985: 34
Lerista muelleri — COGGER 2000: 526
Phaneropis muelleri — WELLS 2012: 74 
DistributionAustralia (Western Australia)

Type locality: W. A., restricted to Nickol Bay, W. A. by Storr (1971).  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesLectotype: ZMB 10074 (formerly SMNS 2057a), Nichol Bay, WA, collected F. von Mueller, designated by Smith & Adams (2007).
Syntypes: QM J235, QM J13601, from Charleville, Qld. [Ablepharus timidus] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Distinguished from all other members of the L.muelleri group by having the second supraciliary fused with the first supraocular. 
CommentSynonymy: L. rhodonoides was removed from the synonymy with L. muelleri by SMITH & ADAMS 2007.

Type species: Phaneropis muelleri Fischer, 1881 is the type species of the genus Phanerops FISCHER 1881. WELLS 2012: 47 revived Phaneropis for P. allochirus,
clarus, haroldi, jacksoni, kingi, micra, muelleri, nevinae, occultus, rolfei, and verhmens. Unfortunately WELLS did not provide a phylogenetic analysis of the genera into which he broke up Lerista, hence we leave the current genus Lerista intact for the time being.

Limb morphology: 3 digits, 3 toes

Distribution: Due to taxonomic revision, the formerly widespread Lerista muelleri is now restricted to a small area in WA. All NSW records formerly ascribed to muelleri are now Lerista timida (G. Shea, pers. comm., 5 March 2021). 
Etymologynamed after Baron Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich Müller (1825-1896), German-born Australian naturalist. 
References
  • Ahl, E. 1935. Beschreibung einer neuen Eidechse aus Westaustralien. Zool. Anz. 112: 204-205
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • 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
  • De Vis, C. W. 1888. A contribution to the herpetology of Queensland. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales (2) 2: 811-826 [1887] - get paper here
  • Fischer, J. G. 1881. Beschreibung neuer Reptilien. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 47 (1): 225-238 - get paper here
  • Glauert, L. 1960. Herpetological miscellanea. XII. The family Scincidae in Western Australia. Pt. 3. The genus Ablepharus. Western Australian Naturalist 7: 115-122 - get paper here
  • Greer, Allen E. 1967. A new generic arrangement for some Australian scincid lizards. Breviora (267): 1-19 - get paper here
  • Greer,A.E. 1990. Limb reduction in the scincid lizard genus Lerista. 2. Variation in the bone complements of the front and rear limbs and the number of postsacral vertebrae. Journal of Herpetology 24 (2): 142-150 - get paper here
  • Lucas, A. H. S. & Frost, C. 1896. Description of a new species of Ablepharus from Victoria, with critical notes on two other Australian lizards. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 21: 281-283 - get paper here
  • Mertens, R. 1934. Die Inseln-Reptilien, ihre Ausbreitung Variation und Artbildung. Zoologica (Stuttgart) 32: 1-209.
  • Montague, P.D. 1914. A report on the fauna of the Monte Bello Islands. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1914: 625-652 + plates - get paper here
  • Schlüter, A. & Hallermann, J. 1997. The Type Specimens in the Herpetological Collection of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart. Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A (553): 1-15 - get paper here
  • Shea G M. 1991. The identity of Lygosoma (Rhodona) goerlingi Ahl, 1935 (Squamata: Scincidae). Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 15 (1): 303-306. - get paper here
  • Smith, LA; Adams, M 2007. Revision of the Lerista muelleri species-group (Lacertilia: Scincidae) in Western Australia, with a redescription of L. muelleri (Fischer, 1881) and the description of nine new species. Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 23 (4): 309-358 - get paper here
  • Storr, G. M. 1971. The genus Lerista (Lacertilia: Scincidae) in Western Australia. J R. Soc. West. Aust. 54: 59-75
  • Storr, G. M. 1976. Revisionary notes on the Lerista (Lacertilia: Scincidae) of Western Australia. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 4: 241-256 - get paper here
  • Storr, G. M., Smith, L. A. & Johnstone, R. E. 1981. Lizards of Western Australia. I. Skinks. Perth: University of Western Australia Press and Western Australian Museum, 200 pp.
  • Storr, G. M.; L. A. Smith, and R. E. Johnstone 1999. Lizards of Western Australia. I. Skinks. Revised Edition. Western Australian Museum
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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