Chalcides
Encyclopedia
Chalcides is a genus
of skink
s (family
Scincidae).
It is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae
which seems to be paraphyletic however. It belongs to a major clade
of this group which does not seem to include the type genus Scincus
however. Thus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily (Austin & Arnold 2006).
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s (family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Scincidae).
It is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae
Scincinae
Scincinae are a subfamily of six genera of skinks. The systematics is at times controversial. The group is probably paraphyletic.- Genera :* Chalcides* Eumeces* Ophiomorus* Scincopus* Scincus* Sphenops- External links :*...
which seems to be paraphyletic however. It belongs to a major clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
of this group which does not seem to include the type genus Scincus
Scincus
Scincus is a genus of skinks . All three species are typical desert inhabitants, living in sandy and dune-like areas, with a hot and dry climate. They can be found from Arabia to the Sahara desert....
however. Thus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily (Austin & Arnold 2006).
Species
- Chalcides armitageiChalcides armitageiThe Armitage's Cylindrical Skink is a species of skink that lives in Gambia.- Note :As for the year of description, Frank & Ramus give 1896, while Pasteur gives 1920 and 1921 respectively ....
, Armitage's Cylindrical Skink - Chalcides bedriagaiChalcides bedriagaiThe Bedriaga's Skink is a species of skink found on the Iberian Peninsula. It usually lives in sandy areas with sparse vegetation and good ground cover. It can also live in open woodland and burrow into loose soil. Females of the species give birth to live young. It has at least one major...
, Bedriaga's Skink - Chalcides chalcidesChalcides chalcidesThe Italian Three-Toed Skink or just Three-Toed Skink is a species of skink found from southern France, Italy , to northern Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia...
, Italian Three-toed Skink - Chalcides colosiiChalcides colosiiChalcides colosii, also known as the Riffian Skink or Colosi's Cylindrical Skink, is a moderately-sized species of skink found in Morocco and some Spanish territories. It is named after Giuseppe Colosi, former director of the Zoological Institute of the University of Florence. It was once...
, Riffian Skink - Chalcides ebneriChalcides ebneriChalcides ebneri, or Ebner's Skink, is a species of skink that lives in Morocco. It is only found in two small locations and has not been sighted since 1970. It is threatened by some agricultural practices and habitat loss, and populations presumably continue to decline. It is found in rocky areas...
, Ebner's Skink - Chalcides ghiarai
- Chalcides guentheriChalcides guentheriChalcides guentheri, or Günther's Cylindrical Skink, is a species of skink found in Israel, Lebanon, and parts of western Jordan and Syria. It is usually found in woody or shrubby areas and cannot live in modified habitats. Members of the species may be found burrowing in grasses. Females of the...
, Günther's Cylindrical Skink - Chalcides lanzaiChalcides lanzaiChalcides lanzai, or Lanza's Skink, is a species of skink found in Morocco which is sometimes considered a subspecies of Chalcides montanus. It is usually found in forest and grassland areas, and is common in the areas where it can be found. It is unlikely to be under serious threat, though it has...
, Lanza's Skink - Chalcides levitoniChalcides levitoniThe Leviton's Cylindrical Skink is a species of skink found in Saudi Arabia .- External links :* Reptile database...
, Leviton's Cylindrical Skink - Chalcides manueliChalcides manueliChalcides manueli, or Manuel's Skink, is a species of skink found in Morocco. It is somewhat rare throughout its distribution and is affected by deforestation, desertification, and overgrazing. Females of the species give birth to live young...
, Manuel's Skink - Chalcides mauritanicusChalcides mauritanicusChalcides mauritanicus, or the Two-Fingered Skink, is an African species of skink found in Algeria and Morocco. It occurs in sandy areas and plantations, but cannot exist in severely modified habitats. It also requires good ground cover, but as this is becoming increasingly scarce, the species is...
, Two-fingered Skink - Chalcides mertensi, Algerian Three-toed Skink
- Chalcides minutusChalcides minutusChalcides minutus, or the Small Three-Toed Skink, is a species of skink found in Morocco and western Algeria. Its numbers are declining, but it is locally common. It is most often found in damp, sunny forests or grasslands with thick vegetation, but it can also be found in relatively dry areas, and...
, Small Three-toed Skink - Chalcides mionecton, Mionecton Skink
- Chalcides montanusChalcides montanusChalcides montanus is a species of skink found in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It was originally described as Chalcides ocellatus montanus.- External links :* Reptile database...
- Chalcides ocellatusChalcides ocellatusChalcides ocellatus, or Ocellated Skink is a species of skink found in Greece, southern Italy, Malta, and parts of northern Africa....
, Ocellated Skink - Chalcides parallelus, Doumergue's Skink
- Chalcides pentadactylusChalcides pentadactylusChalcides pentadactylus, or Five-Fingered Skink, is a species of skink found in the Western Ghats of India. Females of the species are viviparous, meaning that they give birth to live young....
, Five-fingered Skink - Chalcides pistaciaeChalcides pistaciaeThe Cylindrical skink is a species of skink that lives in Spain and Portugal. Some authorities classify this species as a subspecies of Chalcides bedriagai and state the year 1967 as the date of its description....
, Cylindrical Skink - Chalcides polylepis, Many-scaled Cylindrical Skink
- Chalcides pseudostriatus, Moroccan Three-toed Skink
- Chalcides pulchellusChalcides pulchellusMocquard's Cylindrical Skink is a species of skink that lives in southwestern Burkina Faso. Its Latin name means "pretty".- External links :* Reptile database...
, Mocquard's Cylindrical Skink - Chalcides ragazziiChalcides ragazziiThe Ragazzi's Cylindrical Skink, is a large, pentadactyl species of skink. It lives from Algeria , Niger, northern Somalia and northern Kenya to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and south-eastern Sahara. It was named after the collector of the holotype, Dr. V. Ragazzi....
, Ragazzi's Cylindrical Skink - Chalcides sexlineatus, Gran Canaria Skink
- Chalcides simonyiChalcides simonyiChalcides simonyi is a species of skink in the Scincidae family.It is found only in Spain.Its natural habitats are temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate grassland, rocky areas, pastureland, and urban areas.-Source:...
, East Canary Skink - Chalcides striatus, Western Three-toed Skink
- Chalcides thierryiChalcides thierryiThierry's Cylindrical Skink, , is a species of skink found in northern Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal.- External links :* Reptile database...
, Thierry's Cylindrical Skink - Chalcides viridanus, West Canary Skink