Skinks | Bull Skink (Liopholis multiscutata) | Centralian Blue Tongue (Tiliqua multifasciata) | Common Desert Ctenotus (Ctenotus leonhardii) | Ctenotus saxatilis | Cunningham’s Skink (Egernia cunninghami) | Dark Barsided Skink (Concinnia martini) | Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii) | Gidgee Skink (Egernia stokesii) | Great Desert Skink (Egernia kintorei) | Lined Firetail Skink (Morethia ruficauda) | Yellow-bellied Water Skink (Eulamprus heatwolei)
Skinks are lizards that belong to the class Reptilia, family Scincidae, with more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera. Skinks are characterized by smaller legs in comparison to the typical lizards.
The word skink, which entered the English language around 1580–1590, comes from classical Greek skinkos and Latin scincus, names that referred to various specific lizards.3
Bull Skink (Liopholis multiscutata)
Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii)
Great Desert Skink (Egernia kintorei)
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Informal: Gnathostomata
- Class: Reptilia
- Subclass: Lepidosauria
- Order: Squamata
- Suborder: Lacertilia
- Family: Scincidae
- Subfamily: Lygosominae
(Source: Atlas of Living Australia, 9 Jan 2025)
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Squamata
- Suborder: Sauria
- Family: Scincidae
- Subfamily:
- Acontiinae
- Egerniinae
- Eugongylinae
- Lygosominae
- Mabuyinae
- Ristellinae
- Scincinae
- Sphenomorphinae
- Genus: Ateuchosaurus
(Source: iNaturalistAU, 9 Jan 2025)
Footnote & References
- Skinks (Family Scincidae), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/36982-Scincidae
- Scincidae, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/SCINCIDAE
- Skink, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skink (9 Jan 2025)
Skinks | Bull Skink (Liopholis multiscutata) | Centralian Blue Tongue (Tiliqua multifasciata) | Common Desert Ctenotus (Ctenotus leonhardii) | Ctenotus saxatilis | Cunningham’s Skink (Egernia cunninghami) | Dark Barsided Skink (Concinnia martini) | Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii) | Gidgee Skink (Egernia stokesii) | Great Desert Skink (Egernia kintorei) | Lined Firetail Skink (Morethia ruficauda) | Yellow-bellied Water Skink (Eulamprus heatwolei)
ReptilesReptile Index Central Netted Dragon Ctenotus leonhardii Ctenotus saxatilis Crocodile Geckos Bynoe’s Gecko Eastern Tree Dtella Southern Spotted Velvet Gecko Gidgee Skink Goanna, Monitor, Perentie Black Headed Goanna Perentie Pygmy Mulga Goanna Sand Goanna Inland Bearded Dragon Lined Firetail Skink Long-nose Dragon Serpentes Blind Snake Central Carpet Python Children’s Python Stimson’s Python Skinks Spiny-tailed Goanna Thorny Devil Yellow-Bellied Water Skink (Eulamprus heatwolei)