Spondylurus is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus Spondylurus, vernacularly known as the Antillean four-lined skinks, is a neotropical skink taxon including many species.

Spondylurus
Spondylurus nitidus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Subfamily: Mabuyinae
Genus: Spondylurus
Fitzinger, 1826

Description edit

Species in the genus Spondylurus are characterized by four (occasionally three to six) dark dorsolateral stripes. This characteristic is known to fade in older individuals, and colors when preserved shift from tans and browns to greens and blues, often causing confusion as to the true color in life.[1]

Conservation status edit

Many of the species of Spondylurus are extinct or endangered, resulting from invasive predators such as the mongoose.[2]

Geographic range edit

The genus Spondylurus is distributed throughout the West Indies including the Caicos Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Lesser Antilles.[3]

Species list edit

These 17 species are recognized, of which 7 are considered "possibly extinct":[4]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Spondylurus.

References edit

  1. ^ "A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  2. ^ "24 New Species of Lizards Discovered on Caribbean Islands are Close to Extinction". Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  3. ^ Fitzinger (1826). "Spondylurus".
  4. ^ "Spondylurus ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading edit

  • Fitzinger LI (1826). Neue Classification der Reptilien nach ihren natürlichen Verwandtschaften. Nebst einer Verwandtschafts-tafel und einem Verzeichnisse der Reptilien-Sammlung des K. K. zoologischen Museum's zu Wien. Vienna: J.G. Heubner. five unnumbered + 67 pp. + one plate. (Spondylurus, new genus, p. 23). (in German).