Sphenomorphus

Abstract: Skinks are the largest and most diverse of the five families of lizards in Australia. The most recent review of the lizard fauna, for example, recognizes 193 species (54 percent of the total; Cogger 1975), but as a result of recent work by several collectors, we now know of at least 242 species. Furthermore, new species are being discovered at a faster rate than in any other family of Australian reptiles (pers. obs.).

Abstract: Osteological and morphological characters are used to divide the skinks traditionally placed in the catchall genus Leiolopisma and their relatives into three major groups comprising 22 genera. Group I includes Scincella, Ablepharus, Lobulia, gen. nov., Lipinia, and Prasinohaema, gen. nov.; Group II includes Eugongylus, Tachygia, Phoboscincus, gen. nov., Morethia, Emoia, Cryptoblepharus, Leiolopisma, Proablepharus, and Anotis; Group III includes Lampropholis, Geomyersia, Notoscincus, Carlia, Menetia, Panaspis, Cophoscincopus, and Afroablepharus. A diagnosis, generic key, and a discussion of broad phylogenetic relationships are provided for each major group, and a generic synonymy, diagnosis, list of species, range map and a discussion of distribution and intergeneric relationships are provided for each genus.

Abstract: Trypanosomes are known from tortoises, a gecko, and skinks, Trypanosoma phylluri from Phyllurus platurus, and T. egerniae from Egernia striolata and E. cunninghami being new. There is an old record of a trypanosome in a snake, but the organism has not been rediscovered. Haemogregarines are common in all groups. Names had already been given to 2 from tortoises (one of which is regarded as a synonym), 4 from lizards, and 10 from snakes in Australia. Three species described from snakes in Asia have been added, and 15 new species are described from the following type hosts : Haemogregarina heteronotae from Heteronota binoei; Hg. palmeri from Physignathus lesueurii; Hg. taeniolati from Sphenomorphus taeniolatus; Hg. cunninghami, Hg, egerniae, and Hg. obscura from Egernia cunninghami; Hg. johnstoni from Varanus varius varius; Hg. breinli and Hg, gilruthi from Varanus tristis orientalis; Hg. stegonoti from Stegonotus plumbeus; Hg. boigae from Boiga fusca; Hg. australis and Hg. eidsvoldensis fom Pseudechis australis; Hg. denisoniae from Denisonia pallidiceps; Hg. aspidomorphi from Aspidomorphus harriettae. Two species of Plasmodium are known from lizards, P. egerniae from Egernia major major being new. The genus Haemocystidium is revived, one species being recognized in freshwater tortoises and one in geckos. Pirhemocyton has been found in two species of geckos and a carpet snake.

Abstract: A new forest skink of the genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 is described from Khanh Hoa Province, southern Vietnam based on morphological characters of four specimens and a fragment of 653 nucleotides of the gene COI . Sphenomorphus yersini sp. nov. is characterized by the following morphological characters: medium size in adults (snout-vent length up to 55 mm); tail length/snout-vent length ratio 1.81; toes reach to fingers when limbs adpressed; midbody scale rows 32–34, smooth; paravertebral scales 61–69; ventral scale rows 58–67; subcaudal scales 112; supraoculars four, rarely five; prefrontals in broad contact with one another; loreal scales two; tympanum deeply sunk; smooth lamellae beneath finger and toe IV 10–12 and 18–20 respectively; a pair of enlarged precloacal scales; hemipenis deeply forked and asymmetrical with two differently sized smooth lobes. The new species differs from its most similar congener, Sphenomorphus buenloicus Darevsky & Nguyen, 1983, by 16.4–16.7% uncorrected p -distance in COI sequences.