Kishinoue's giant skink (Plestiodon kishinouyei), also known as the Japanese skink,[1] is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae, endemic to the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
| Kishinoue's giant skink | |
|---|---|
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| A roadkilled specimen at Ishigaki Island, 2019 | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Plestiodon |
| Species: | P. kishinouyei
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| Binomial name | |
| Plestiodon kishinouyei Stejneger, 1901
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| Synonyms | |
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Eumeces kishinouyei | |
The species name is a tribute to Japanese fisheries biologist Kamakichi Kishinouye (岸上 鎌吉, 1867–1929).
Description edit
Plestiodon kishinouyei is about 30–40 cm in total length (including tail), with a snout to vent length of 14.0–17.2 cm. It is the largest member of its widely distributed, speciose genus,[2] and thus appears to be an example of island gigantism.
References edit
- ^ a b Kidera, N.; Ota, H. (2017). "Plestiodon kishinouyei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T8217A96877356. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T8217A96877356.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ Kurita, K.; Toda, M. (2017). "The role of ecological factors in determining phylogeographic and population genetic structure of two sympatric island skinks (Plestiodon kishinouyei and P. stimpsonii)". Genetica. 145 (2): 223–234. doi:10.1007/s10709-017-9960-3. PMID 28271307. S2CID 12219889.
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