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Lerista apoda STORR, 1976

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Dampier Land Limbless Slider 
SynonymLerista apoda STORR 1976: 255
Lerista apoda — COGGER 1983: 171
Gavisus apoda — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984
Lerista apoda — COGGER 2000: 513
Wondjinia apoda — WELLS 2012: 156
Lerista apoda — WILSON & SWAN 2010 
DistributionAustralia (Western Australia)

Type locality: Cygnet Bay, 16° 26’ S, 123° 01’ E, W. A.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: WAM R52163 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Very slender Lerista with no trace of legs (including forelimb groove); eye very small and located under a transparent scale; snout flat, sharp and pro- truding well beyond mouth; tail much shorter than body and terminating abruptly and obtusely (as in Typhlopidae). (Storr 1976) 
CommentType Species: Lerista apoda Storr, 1976 is the type species of the genus Wondjinia WELLS 2012: 146. WELLS 2012: 146 erected the genus for Wondjinia apoda (Storr, 1976). 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: 0 digits, 0 toes (limbless). This is only one of 5 species of Lerista with no external trace of limbs (along with L. ameles.

Species group: wilkinsi. 
EtymologyFrom the Greek prefix a- (without) plus pous (foot), in reference to the lack of limbs in the species. (G. Shea, pers. comm., 9 Feb 2024) 
References
  • 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
  • Greer A E; McDonald K R; Lawrie B C 1983. Three new species of Lerista (Scincidae) from northern Queensland with a diagnosis of the wilkinsi species group. Journal of Herpetology 17 (2): 247-255 - get paper here
  • Skinner, Adam; Michael S Y Lee and Mark N Hutchinson 2008. Rapid and repeated limb loss in a clade of scincid lizards. [Lerista]. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8:310 - get paper here
  • 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
  • Wells R W; Wellington C R 1984. A synopsis of the class Reptilia in Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology 1 (3-4): 73-129 [31 Dec 1983 on cover]
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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