Paracontias is a genus

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. Probably quite close to Amphiglossus

Amphiglossus

Amphiglossus is a genus of skinks .It is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae which seems to be paraphyletic however. Probably quite close to Paracontias and possibly Androngo trivittatus, it belongs to a major clade which does not seem to include the type genus Scincus...

and possibly Androngo trivittatus, 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...

 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....

. Thus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily.(Austin & Arnold 2006)

Species

• Paracontias brocchii
• Paracontias hafa
• Paracontias hildebrandti
• Paracontias holomelas
• Paracontias manify
• Paracontias milloti
• Paracontias rothschildi
• Paracontias tsararano