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Liopholis whitii (LACÉPÈDE, 1804)

IUCN Red List - Liopholis whitii - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaScincidae, Egerniinae (Tiliquini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: White's Rock-skink, White's Skink
G: Whit’s Stachelskink 
SynonymScineus [sic] whitii LACÉPÈDE 1804: 209
Scincus compressicauda QUOY & GAIMARD 1824: 180
Tiliqua leucopsis GRAY 1838: 291
Lygosoma moniligera DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 736 (fide STORR 1968)
Scincus ocellatus DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 73 (nomen nudum)
Scincus leuwinensis DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 736 (nomen nudum)
Liopholis moniligera — FITZINGER 1843: 22
Hinulia whitii — GRAY 1845: 230
Egernia whitii — BOULENGER 1887: 135
Egernia whitei tenebrosa CONDON 1941
Egernia whitii — GLAUERT 1960: 76
Egernia whitii — HORTON 1972
Egernia whitii — COGGER 1983: 161
Liopholis coplandi — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985: 32
Egernia whitii — COGGER 2000: 473
Liopholis whitii — GARDNER et al. 2008
Liopholis whitii — WILSON & SWAN 2013: 332 
DistributionAustralia (E New South Wales to extreme SE Queensland, Eyre peninsula in South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, islands of Bass Strait)

moniligera: coastal and adjacent areas north of Nowra, New South Wales.

Type locality: Kangaroo Is., S. A. (as Australia)
Type locality: Port Jackson, N. S. W. [Scincus compressicauda]  
ReproductionViviparous 
TypesSyntypes: MNHN-RA 2988 and MNHN-RA 2988A (two specimens). A lectotype designation by Wells & Wellington (1985) of the larger of the two specimens is invalid, as it is not clear what they meant by "larger". Brygoo (1985) notes that 2988, with the smaller SVL, has a longer total length than 2988A, which has a broken tail. See also DONNELLAN et al. 2002) and Guibé (1954) who was not able to locate the holotype.
Holotype: (probably), BMNH xv.17a, from Kangaroo Is., S. A. (original description cites Australia). [Tiliqua leucopsis]
Syntypes: MNHP 2988 (2 specimens, Kangaroo Island), MNHP 2989 (Australia), MNHP 2992 (2 specimens, Australia), ?MNHP 2990 (Australia), ?MNHP 7123 (2 specimens, Hobart, Tas.), ?MCZ 2133 (Australia), from Australia and Kangaroo Is., S. A. (original description cites only Australia). Guibé (1954) cites only the first five specimens as types. [Lygosoma moniligera]
Holotype: SAMA R2161, from Flindera Chase, Kangaroo Is., S. A. [Egernia whitei tenebrosa] 
DiagnosisDefinition (genus Liopholis): The clade comprising Liopholis whitii (Lacépède, 1804), and all organisms or species that share a more recent common ancestor with Liopholis whitii than with Tiliqua scincoides, Egernia cunninghami, Lissolepis luctuosa or Bellatorias major (Gardner et al. 2008: 791).

Description (genus Liopholis): A genus of Egernia Group skinks, relatively small to medium-sized lizards (adult SVL 75–200 mm); head and body squarish in cross-section; midbody scales in 34–52 rows, the dorsals smooth (keeled in L. pulchra); nasal scale without postnarial groove; subocular scale row incomplete; eyes rela- tively large, the eyelids usually with distinct cream margins, easily differentiated from adjacent scales (Gardner et al. 2008: 791).

Description (species): Glauert 1960: 76 
CommentSynonymy after COGGER 1983 and DONNELLAN et al. 2002. Egernia whitii tenebrosa is not listed as a valid subspecies by COGGER 2000.

Habitat: Rock-dwelling.

Type Species: Lygosoma moniligera DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839 is the type species of the genus Liopholis FITZINGER 1843.

This species exhibit colour pattern polymorphism (Chapple et al. 2008). 
EtymologyNamed after John White (ca. 1756-1832), who served in the Royal Navy (1781-1820), visiting India and the West Indies before 1788. 
References
  • 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
  • Chapple, D. G., Hutchinson, M.N., Maryan, B., Plivelich M., Moore, J.A. and Keogh J.S. 2008. Evolution and maintenance of colour pattern polymorphism in Liopholis (Squamata : Scincidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 56: 103–115 - get paper here
  • CHAPPLE, DAVID G. and J. SCOTT KEOGH 2004. Parallel adaptive radiations in arid and temperate Australia: molecular phylogeography and systematics of the Egernia whitii (Lacertilia: Scincidae) species group. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 83: 157–173 - get paper here
  • Chapple, David G.; J. Scott Keogh and Mark N. Hutchinson 2004. Molecular phylogeography and systematics of the arid-zone members of the Egernia whitii (Lacertilia: Scincidae) species group. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33 (3): 549-561 - 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.
  • Condon, H. T. 1941. Further records of lizards and frogs from Kangaroo Island. Rec. South Austral. Mus. 7: 111-116 - get paper here
  • 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
  • Dissanayake, D. S. B 2020. Liopholis whitii (White’s Skink). Diet. Herpetological Review 51: 601.
  • Donnellan,S.C.; Hutchinson M N., Dempsey, P. & Osborne, W.S. 2002. Systematics of the Egernia whitii species group (Lacertilia: Scincidae) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 50: 439-459 - 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
  • Eldridge, M. D. B., S. Ingleby, A. G. King, S. V. Mahony, H. E. Parnaby, C. A. Beatson, A. Divljan, G. J. Frankham, A. C. Hay, R. E. Major, S. E. Reader, R. A. Sadlier, and L. R. Tsang. 2020. Australian Museum surveys of the vertebrate fauna of Coolah Tops National Park, NSW. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum Online 30: 1–26 - get paper here
  • Fitzinger, L. 1843. Systema Reptilium, fasciculus primus, Amblyglossae. Braumüller et Seidel, Wien: 106 pp. - get paper here
  • Gardner, M. G., Hugall, A. F., Donnellan, S. C., Hutchinson, M. N., and Foster, R. 2008. Molecular systematics of social skinks: phylogeny and taxonomy of the Egernia group (Reptilia: Scincidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 154 (4): 781-794 - get paper here
  • Glauert, L. 1960. Herpetological miscellanea. XII. The family Scincidae in Western Australia. Pt. 1. The genera Tiliqua, Trachysaurus and Egernia. Western Australian Naturalist 7 (3): 67-77 - get paper here
  • Gomard, Guillaume 2015. Tigerottern: eine Einladung zum Kennenlernen der Reptilien Tasmaniens. Terraria-Elaphe 2015 (4): 44-51 - get paper here
  • Gray, J. E. 1838. Catalogue of the slender-tongued saurians, with descriptions of many new genera and species. Part 1. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (1) 1: 274-283 - get paper here
  • Guibé, J. 1954. Catalogue des Types de Lézards du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Naturelle. Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 119 pp.
  • Halliwell, B., Uller, T., Holland, B. R., & While, G. M. 2017. Live bearing promotes the evolution of sociality in reptiles. Nature Communications, 8(1): 2030 - get paper here
  • Henle, K. & Osborne, W. S. 1986. Herpetologische Spaziergänge im Kosciusko-Nationalpark/Australien. Herpetofauna 8 (40): 28-33 - get paper here
  • Hickman, J. L. 1960. Observations on the skink lizard Egernia whitii (Lacépède). Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm. 94: 111-118
  • Horton, D. R. 1972. Lizard scales and adaptation. Systematic Zoology 21 (4): 441-443 - get paper here
  • Horton,D.R. 1972. Evolution in the genus Egernia (Lacertilia, Scincidae). Journal of Herpetology 6 (2): 101-109 - get paper here
  • Hugi, Jasmina; Mark N. Hutchinson, D. Koyabu, Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra 2012. Heterochronic shifts in the ossification sequences of surface- and subsurface-dwelling skinks are correlated with the degree of limb reduction. Zoology 115 (3): 188-198 - get paper here
  • LaCépède, B. G. E. L. 1804. Mémoire sur plusieurs animaux de la Nouvelle- Hollande dont la description n’a pas encore été publiée. Annales du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 4:184-211 - get paper here
  • Lucas, A. H. S. & Frost, C. 1894. The lizards indigenous to Victoria. Proc. R. Soc. Vict. (ns) 6: 24-92 - get paper here
  • Mitchell, F. J. 1950. The scincid genera Egernia and Tiliqua (Lacertilia). Rec. South Austral. Mus. 9: 275-308 - get paper here
  • Quoy, J.R., and J.P. Gaimard. 1824. Zoologie. In: M.L. de Freycinet: Voyage Autour du Monde, Entrepris par le ministére et conformément aux instructions de s. exc. M. le Vicomte du Bouchage, Secrétaire d'etat au Department de la Marine, Exécuté sur les corvettes de S.M. l'Uranie et la Paris. iv + 712 pp. - get paper here
  • Reeder, T.W. 2003. A phylogeny of the Australian Sphenomorphus group (Scincidae: Squamata) and the phylogenetic placement of the crocodile skinks (Tribolonotus): Bayesian approaches to assessing congruence and obtaining confidence in maximum likelihood inferred relatio Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 27: 384–397 - get paper here
  • Storr G M 1978. The genus Egernia (Lacertilia, Scincidae) in Western Australia. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 6 (2): 147-187 - get paper here
  • Storr, G. M. 1968. Revision of the Egernia whitei species-group (Lacertilia: Scincidae). J. R. Soc. West. Aust. 51: 51-62
  • Swan, G.; Sadlier, R.; Shea, G. 2017. A field guide to reptiles of New South Wales. Reed New Holland, 328 pp.
  • Taylor, R. J.;Dudley, A.;Gale, P. G. 1993. Reptiles and amphibians in sclerophyll forest surrounding Old Chum Dam in north-eastern Tasmania. Herpetofauna (Sydney) 23 (1): 26-31
  • Wells, R. W. and Wellington, C. R. 1985. A classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology, Supplementary Series (1): 1-61 [sometimes cited as 1983] - get paper here
  • While, Geoffrey M.;, David G. Chapple, Michael G. Gardner, Tobias Uller, and Martin J. Whiting 2015. Egernia lizards. Current Biology 25 (14): R593–R595, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.070 - get paper here
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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