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Anomalopus verreauxii DUMÉRIL, 1851

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Sphenomorphinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Three-clawed Worm-skink, Verreaux's Skink 
SynonymAnomalopus verreauxii A. DUMÉRIL in DUMÉRIL & DUMÉRIL 1851: 185
Siaphus simplex COPE 1864: 229
Anomalopus Godeffroyi PETERS 1867: 24
Chelomeles pseudopus GÜNTHER 1873: 145
Lygosoma verreauxi — SMITH 1937: 221
Anomalopus verreauxi — COGGER 1983
Anomalopus verreauxi — COGGER 2000: 386
Anomalopus verreauxi — WILSON & SWAN 2010
Anomalopus verreauxii — RABOSKY et al. 2014 
DistributionAustralia (New South Wales, Queensland)

Type locality: Australia [S. simplex]  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: MNHN-RA 3047, from Tasmania (in error) (Anomalopus verreauxii)
Syntypes: ZMB 5296-7, from East Australia [Anomalopus Godeffroyi]
Holotype: BMNH 1946.8.3.59, from unknown locality [Chelomeles pseudopus] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus). Anomalopus differs from all other members of the Sphenomorphus group in the following combination of derived character states: prefrontals separated; last 2 supraoculars partially separated by a superciliary (usually the sixth); supralabials 6, fourth (or suture between fourth and fifth) below centre of eye; external ear opening absent; front and rear limb ≤ 0.07 x and ≥ 0.09 x SVL, respectively.
Premaxillary teeth ≤ 7; ectopterygoid process present; postorbital absent; quadratal conch absent.
Manus lacks distal carpals 1 and 5, metacarpal 1, and has phalanges reduced to 0.2.3.2.0; pes lacks metatarsal 1 and has phalanges reduced to 0.2.2.0.0; presacral vertebrae ≥ 47; sternal ribs ≤ 2; medial ends of ischia separated (Greer & Cogger 1985: 13). 
CommentSynonymy partly after COGGER 1983.

Type species: Anomalopus verreauxii DUMÉRIL & DUMÉRIL 1851: 185 is the type species of the genus Anomalopus DUMÉRIL & DUMÉRIL 1851.

Phylogenetics: see Singhal et al. 2017 and 2018 for a phylogeny of Australian sphenomorphine skinks, including the genus Anomalopus. However, A. verreauxi was not included in their tree. For a phylogeny of the genera Anomalopus, Praeteropus, and Sepsiscus see Hutchinson et al. 2021.

Limb morphology: 3 digits, 1 toes (Reduced limbs, Singhal et al. 2018, Cogger 2014) 
References
  • 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.
  • Cope, E.D. 1864. On the characters of the higher groups of Reptilia - Squamata - and especially y of the Diploglossa. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 1864: 224-231 - 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
  • Dale, D. F. 1973. Forty Queensland Lizards. Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 64 pp.
  • Duméril, A.M.C. & A. H. A. Duméril 1851. Catalogue méthodique de la collection des reptiles du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris. Gide et Baudry/Roret, Paris, 224 pp.
  • Greer A E; Cogger H G 1985. Systematics of the reduce-limbed and limbless skinks currently assigned to the genus Anomalopus (Lacertilia: Scincidae). Rec. Austral. Mus. 37(1) 1985: 11-54 - get paper here
  • Günther, A. 1873. Notes on and descriptions of some lizards with rudimentary limbs, in the British Museum. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 12: 145-148 - get paper here
  • Hutchinson, M. N., Couper, P., Amey, A., & Wilmer, J. W. 2021. Diversity and Systematics of Limbless Skinks (Anomalopus) from Eastern Australia and the Skeletal Changes that Accompany the Substrate Swimming Body Form. Journal of Herpetology 55 (4): 361-384 - get paper here
  • Peters, Wilhem Carl Hartwig 1867. Herpetologische Notizen. Monatsber. königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin. 1867 (Januar): 13-37 - get paper here
  • Rabosky, Daniel L.; Stephen C. Donnellan, Michael Grundler, and Irby J. Lovette 2014. Analysis and Visualization of Complex Macroevolutionary Dynamics: An Example from Australian Scincid Lizards. Syst Biol 2014 63: 610-627 - get paper here
  • Singhal, Sonal; Huateng Huang, Maggie R. Grundler, María R. Marchán-Rivadeneira, Iris Holmes, Pascal O. Title, Stephen C. Donnellan, and Daniel L. Rabosky 2018. Does Population Structure Predict the Rate of Speciation? A Comparative Test across Australia’s Most Diverse Vertebrate Radiation. The American Naturalist - get paper here
  • Skinner, Adam; Mark N. Hutchinson, Michael S.Y. Lee 2013. Phylogeny and Divergence Times of Australian Sphenomorphus Group Skinks (Scincidae, Squamata). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69 (3): 906–918 - get paper here
  • Smith, M.A. 1937. A review of the genus Lygosoma (Scincidae: Reptilia) and its allies. Records of the Indian Museum 39 (3): 213-234
  • Swan, G.; Sadlier, R.; Shea, G. 2017. A field guide to reptiles of New South Wales. Reed New Holland, 328 pp.
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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