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Lerista borealis STORR, 1971

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Inland Kimberley Slider 
SynonymLerista borealis STORR 1971
Lerista borealis — STORR 1976: 248
Lerista borealis — COGGER 1983: 172
Lerista borealis — COGGER 2000: 514
Marrunisauria borealis — WELLS 2012: 226
Lerista borealis — WILSON & SWAN 2010 
DistributionAustralia (Northern Territory, Western Australia)

Type locality: Thompson Spring, 16° 02’ S, 128° 57’ E, W. A.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: WAM R22363 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Small Lerista with digits 2 + 3, eyelid movable, frontoparietals paired and forming a median suture, and pattern almost absent. Distinguishable from L. walkeri by large last supraciliary (subequa! to third and fourth) and nasals not forming a median suture; it is also smaller, paler and less heavily spotted, and has longer limbs and more subdigital lamellae. (Storr 1976)

Partial redescription: Snout-vent length (mm): 30-51 (44.9). Length of appendages etc. (% SVL): foreleg 8-11 (8.6); hindleg 16-21 (17.5); tail 114 (one specimen); snout to foreleg 27-28 (28.0).
Nasals narrowly separated (2 specimens) or just touching (3 specimens). Prefrontals widely separated. Frontoparietals forming a short to long median suture; shorter than interparietal. Nuchals 0-3 (2.5). Suprao'culars 3, first two contacting frontal. Supraciliaries 5, last three largest, second smallest. Upper secondary temporal much the largest; lower secondary smallest. Midbody scale rows 20-22 (20.8). Lamellae under longest toe 10-13 (11.4). (Storr 1976) 
CommentType Species: Lerista borealis Storr, 1971 is the type species of the genus Marrunisauria WELLS 2012: 218. WELLS 2012: 47 erected the genus for A. borealis, kalumburu, walkeri. 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. 
EtymologyThe specific name borealis is derived from the Latin 'Borealis' meaning Northern, and refers to the distribution of this species within Australia. 
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. 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
  • 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. 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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