Date: 27/02/2017 16:59:33
From: dv
ID: 1030938
Subject: Lizard with short limbs

Spied this short-limbed lizard the other day. It’s about 12 cm in full length. What appears to be the tail (ie the length behind the rear legs) is about 8 cm. As you can see, it is a slender lizard and the limbs are slight and appeared to be somewhat feeble, as it moved with a serpentine action scarcely aided, it seemed, by the legs.

I would suppose it is some kind of skink but I cannot identify it. It looks somewhat like a few lizards that (to the best of my knowledge) are not found here in WA.

Some possibilities

A writhing skink (genus Lygosoma): but I think they are only found in Asia.
A worm skink (genus Anomalopus): to my knowledge, only found in Eastern Australia
A cool-skink (genus Bassiana): again, not found in WA
A glass lizard (genus Ophisaurus): found in Asia

Can any of you identify this one?

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:07:55
From: Arts
ID: 1030947
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

a type of mulch skink, perhaps

Heriergis initialis?

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:09:40
From: Arts
ID: 1030948
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

Arts said:


a type of mulch skink, perhaps

Heriergis initialis?

hemiergis initialis

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:10:50
From: dv
ID: 1030950
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

Arts said:


a type of mulch skink, perhaps

Heriergis initialis?

Damn, you’re good.

Hemiergis looks like it. Maybe H. quadrilineata?

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:11:09
From: Michael V
ID: 1030952
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

Might be worth you while kludging this lot…

http://www.arod.com.au/arod/reptilia/Squamata/Scincidae

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:12:38
From: Michael V
ID: 1030953
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

Or this, given Arts comments:

http://www.arod.com.au/arod/reptilia/Squamata/Scincidae/Hemiergis

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:12:46
From: dv
ID: 1030954
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

I had no idea that there were so many skinks or that it was such a varied clade.

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:18:09
From: Michael V
ID: 1030961
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

dv said:


I had no idea that there were so many skinks or that it was such a varied clade.
I had no idea there was a pink tongued lizard (skink) until recently. We clearly have a breading female here (and an male nearby), as we saw a young-un. (They are live birthers). Quite spectacular and aggressive little beastie.

Reply Quote
Date: 27/02/2017 17:19:50
From: Arts
ID: 1030964
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

dv said:


Arts said:

a type of mulch skink, perhaps

Heriergis initialis?

Damn, you’re good.

Hemiergis looks like it. Maybe H. quadrilineata?

yep, spot on.. good job.

Reply Quote
Date: 28/02/2017 01:52:40
From: The Rev Dodgson
ID: 1031029
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

Maybe it’s a snake with long limbs.

Reply Quote
Date: 28/02/2017 01:53:38
From: dv
ID: 1031030
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

The Rev Dodgson said:


Maybe it’s a snake with long limbs.

Reply Quote
Date: 28/02/2017 02:46:55
From: The Rev Dodgson
ID: 1031046
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

dv said:


The Rev Dodgson said:

Maybe it’s a snake with long limbs.


Pleased to be of service.

Reply Quote
Date: 28/02/2017 09:19:15
From: Arts
ID: 1031225
Subject: re: Lizard with short limbs

The Rev Dodgson said:


Maybe it’s a snake with long limbs.

There are legless lizards, but I have never heard of a legged snake. Though pythons can have vestigial ‘limbs’ towards thier tail.

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