Ornithuroscincus
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Ornithuroscincus is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. All but one species are endemic to New Guinea: in addition to northern New Guinea, Ornithuroscincus noctua occurs on many Pacific islands.
Taxonomy
The genus Ornithuroscincus was erected in 2021 in the revision of the then-polyphyletic genus Lobulia. Its closest relative in Alpinoscincus.
Description
Ornithuroscincus are small to medium-sized skinks with adult snout–vent length of 29–69mm (1.1–2.7in). The limbs are short. They are ovoviviparous with 1–3 offspring in each litter.
Habitat
They are terrestrial to semi-arboreal. Most species have restricted ranges in mountainous areas, but some species are widespread and occur in lowland areas.
Species
The following species are recognized as being valid:
- Ornithuroscincus albodorsalis (T. Vogt, 1932)
- Ornithuroscincus bengaun Slavenko, Tamar, Tallowin, Kraus, Allison, Carranza, & Meiri, 2021
- Ornithuroscincus inornatus Slavenko, Tamar, Tallowin, Kraus, Allison, Carranza, & Meiri, 2021
- Ornithuroscincus noctua (Lesson, 1830) – moth skink
- Ornithuroscincus nototaenia (Boulenger, 1914)
- Ornithuroscincus pterophilus Slavenko, Tamar, Tallowin, Kraus, Allison, Carranza, & Meiri, 2021
- Ornithuroscincus sabini (Kraus, 2020)
- Ornithuroscincus shearmani Slavenko, Tamar, Tallowin, Kraus, Allison, Carranza, & Meiri, 2021
- Ornithuroscincus viridis Slavenko, Tamar, Tallowin, Kraus, Allison, Carranza, & Meiri, 2021
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Ornithuroscincus.