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Menetia greyii

Menetia greyii, commonly known as the common dwarf skink or Grey's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to mainland Australia and Indonesia.

Menetia greyii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Menetia
Species:
M. greyii
Binomial name
Menetia greyii
Gray, 1845
Synonyms[2]
  • Menetia greyii
    Gray, 1845
  • Ablepharus greyii
    — Glauert, 1960
  • Menetia greyii
    – Greer, 1974

Etymology edit

The specific name, greyii, is in honour of explorer George Grey, who became Governor of South Australia and later Governor of New Zealand.[3] George Grey was born 14 April 1812 in Lisbon, Portugal. Inspired by Charles Sturt's discoveries in Australia, in 1836 Grey left to attempt to establish a settlement in Australia's north-west. He was knighted in 1848. After many accomplishments in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, Grey returned to London in 1894 and died in 1898.[4]

Geographic range edit

One of Australia's most widespread and abundant lizards,[5] the common dwarf skink is found across Australia. It is found west of the Great Dividing Range. It is not recorded to occur in north-east Northern Territory, Cape York Peninsula, southern Victoria or Tasmania, but it is known to occur in all other areas of Australia.[6] The range of the common dwarf skink spans across approximately 93% of the continent.[7] A continuous occurrence record map can be found online at "Atlas of Living Australia" through this reference link.[8]

Habitat edit

M. greyii is widespread and found in many different habitats. It is found in heaths, deserts, woodlands and grasslands.[6] It is also frequently found in urban environments, and is therefore fairly well known.[5] This skink is known to shelter underneath logs and rocks. It is often found moving through leaf litter on the ground while searching for its main food source of invertebrates.[6] It is widespread on a variety of soil types.[9]

Description edit

M. greyii is a very small skink that grows up to 38–40 mm (1.5–1.6 in) in snout-to-vent length (SVL). The body is of light build and elongated.[6] It has smooth scales and four limbs. The forelimbs have four digits and the hindlimbs have five digits.[10] It is brownish grey to grey and has dorsal dashes that can form broken lines and broad dark upper lateral and white midlateral stripes.[9] The underbelly of the skink is usually white.[6] Breeding males can be distinguished as they have a yellow/orange flush on the underbelly as well as a pink flush on the throat.[9] Some populations can differ slightly in colour because of the different environments they inhabit.[5] The common dwarf skink has two supraciliary scales, the first is quite small and the second is contacting the supraocular scale.[9] It has 3 scales in a line between the eye and the nostril.[9]

Behaviour edit

The common dwarf skink is fossorial, meaning it is a burrowing skink. This species is diurnal.[6]

Diet edit

Prey for the common dwarf skink includes small insects such as ants and termites, and also small spiders.[1]

As prey edit

Predators of the common dwarf skink include, but are not limited to, larger reptiles, avian species and cats.[citation needed]

Reproduction edit

The adult female common dwarf skink may lay 1-3 eggs in every clutch.[6]

M. greyii is one of a small number of vertebrate species that are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis.[11] A 2007 study discovered that M. greyii is able to reproduce by parthenogenesis as well as by sexual reproduction.[citation needed] Mitochondrial DNA revealed that parthenogenesis is able to occur in this species.[citation needed] Parthenogenesis is when eggs can mature without being fertilised into clones of the female.[citation needed] This process can occur in some non-mammal species.[citation needed]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Shea, G.; Ellis, R.; Oliver, P.; Wilson, S. (2017). "Menetia greyii ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017. IUCN: e.T109480162A109480171. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T109480162A109480171.en.
  2. ^ Species Mentia greyii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Menetia greyii, p. 108).
  4. ^ "Grey, Sir George (1812–1898)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2022-10-24
  5. ^ a b c Bush, Brian; Maryan, Brad; Browne-Cooper, Robert; Robinson, David (1995). A Guide to the Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region. Perth: University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 1-875560-42-4.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Eipper, Scott; Eipper, Tyese (2021). A Naturalist's Guide to the Lizards of Australia (1st ed.). 11 Blenheim Court, 316 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 7NS, England.: John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-913679-06-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. ^ Barter, Mahalia; Bonifacio, Luke; Duran, Andressa; Goulet, Celine; Tingley, Reid; Shea, Glenn; Meiri, Shai; Chapple, David (2022). "Predictors of geographic range size in Australian skinks". Global Ecology and Biogeography. 31 (1): 113–122. Bibcode:2022GloEB..31..113B. doi:10.1111/geb.13419. S2CID 240468126 – via Wiley Online Library.
  8. ^ Australia, Atlas of Living. "Species: Menetia greyii (Common Dwarf Skink)". bie.ala.org.au. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  9. ^ a b c d e Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2021). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia (6th ed.). Wahroonga, NSW, Australia: Reed New Holland Publishers. p. 408. ISBN 978-1-92554-671-2.
  10. ^ "Discover Nature at JCU - Menetia greyii". www.jcu.edu.au. 2015-10-19. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  11. ^ Adams, Mark; Foster, Ralph; Hutchinson, Mark; Hutchinson, Rhonda; Donnellan, Steve (2003). "The Australian scincid lizard Menetia greyii: A new instance of widespread vertebrate parthenogenesis". Evolution. 57 (11): 2619–2627. doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2003.tb01504.x. PMID 14686536. S2CID 34128811.

Further reading edit

  • Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. ISBN 978-0643100350. (Menetia greyii, p. 655).
  • Gray JE (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Menetia greyii, new species, p. 66).
  • Peterson, Magnus; Metcalfe, Dean C. (2015). "Menetia greyii (Grey's Skink). Diet". Herpetological Review 46 (4): 631–632.
  • Smyth, Michael; Smith, Meredith J. (1974). "Aspects of the Natural History of Three Australian Skinks, Morethia boulengeri, Menetia greyii, and Lerista bougainvillii ". Journal of Herpetology 8 (4): 329–335.



 

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