Anomalopus swansoni explained
Anomalopus swansoni, also known commonly as the punctate worm-skink or Swanson's burrowing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Etymology
The specific name, swansoni, is in honor of Australian herpetologist, Stephen Swanson.[1]
Geographic range
A. swansoni is found between the Hawkesbury River and the Hunter River in eastern New South Wales.
Description
A. swansoni is pinkish-brown on top, with fine dark speckles, and a creamy-pink belly.
Habitat
The preferred natural habitats of A. swansoni are supralittoral zone, grassland, shrubland, and forest.
Behaviour
A. swansoni shelters in soil, wood and rocks, and is rarely seen unless disturbed.[2]
Reproduction
A. swansoni is viviparous.[3]
Further reading
- Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
- Greer AE, Cogger HG (1985). "Systematics of the Reduce-limbed and Limbless Skinks Currently Assigned to the Genus Anomalopus (Lacertilia: Scincidae)". Records of the Australian Museum 37 (1): 11–54. (Anomalopus swansoni, new species, pp. 23–24 + Figures 9–12).
- Swanson, Stephen (1990). Lizards of Australia. Revised edition. HarperCollins (Australia). 162 pp. .
- Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .
Notes and References
- Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Anomalopus swansoni, p. 258).
- Book: Griffiths, Ken. Reptiles of the Sydney Region. 0-9590203-3-0. Winmalee, New South Wales: Three Sisters Publications Pty Ltd. 120 pp. (Anomalopus swansoni, p. 68). 1987.
- www.reptile-database.org.
