Leiolopisma telfairii (DESJARDIN, 1831)

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Higher Taxa	Scincidae, Eugongylinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies
Common Names
Synonym	Scincus telfairii DESJARDIN 1831: 293 Leiolopisma Telfairi — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 742 Lygosoma telfairii — BOULENGER 1887: 270 Lygosoma (Hinulia) compressicaudum WERNER 1897 (?) Lygosoma (Leiolopisma) telfairi — SMITH 1937: 224 Leiolopisma telfairii — GREER 1974: 16 Leiolopisma telfairii — AUSTIN & ARNOLD 2006
Distribution	Mauritius (restricted to Round Island) Type locality: Île Plate, Mauritius
Reproduction
Types	Syntype: MNHN-RA 7124 (2958), collected J. Desjardins (see Brygoo, 1985). Fate of other syntypes (from Round Island and Coin de Mire, the other localities mentioned in the description, at least), unknown. Syntypes: ZSM 80/1947, 1 adult, ZSM 81/1947/1-2 [compressicaudum]
Diagnosis	Diagnosis (genus): ROBB 1975 or HARDY 1977: 230
Comment	Distribution: Has been living on Mauritius and Reunion but is extinct there now (only fossils can be found) Synonymy: A specimen in the ZSM labelled as Lygosoma (Hinulia) compressicaudum Werner, 1897 has another handwritten jar label by A. Greer who identifies the specimens as “probably Leiolopisma telfairii (Desjardin, 1831)”. A photo of this specimen is shown here. Type Species: Scincus telfairii is the type species of the genus Leiolopisma DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839 (fide GREER 1974). For a diagnosis of the genus see ROBB 1975 or HARDY 1977: 230 Fossil species of Leiolopisma: Didosaurus mauritianus GÜNTHER 1877 (= Leiolopisma mauritiana) was described from subfossil remains from Mauritius but is now extinct). Its syntypes (BMNH 1965.95) were purchased by H.H. Slater (Transit of Venus Expedition. Whereabouts of the material collected by Edward Newton unknown. Described from a maxillary fragment with three teeth, five fragments of mandibles, seven femurs, and three partial humeri.). Austin & Arnold 2006 also isolated DNA from L. mauritania.
Etymology	Etymology (genus): Leiolopisma" is derived from the Greek "leio" meaning smooth, and "lopisma" (the peel) referring to a sloughed outer layer.
References	Arnold, E.N. 1980. Recently extinct reptile populations from Mauritius and Reunion, Indian Ocean. Journal of Zoology 191: 33–47 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 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 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 Camp, Charles Lewis 1923. Classification of the Lizards. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 48 (11): 289-481. 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 Greer, A.E. 1974. The generic relationships of the scincid lizard genus Leiolopisma and its relatives. Australian Journal of Zoology 31: 1-67. - get paper here Günther, A. 1877. Notice of two extinct lizards, formerly inhabiting the Mascarene Islands. Zool. J. Linnean Soc. 13:322-327 - get paper here Robb, J. 1975. Two new skinks of the genus Leiolopisma from New Zealand. Proc. K. ned. Akad. Wet. (biol. med. Sci.) 78 (5): 477-483 Rogner, M. 2006. Mauritius für Anfänger. Reptilia (Münster) 11 (60): 43-50 - 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
External links	IUCN Red List - Leiolopisma telfairii - Vulnerable, VU National Center for Biotechnology Information Google images

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