Liopholis Fitzinger, 1843

Aplin, Ken P., Maryan, Brad, Armstrong, Kyle N., Pavey, Chris R. & Donnellan, Stephen C., 2024, Molecular and morphological assessment of the Liopholis inornata (Rosén, 1905) species group (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae), with descriptions of two new species from northern Western Australia, Zootaxa 5551 (2), pp. 299-332 : 316

Liopholis Fitzinger, 1843

Burrow-digging Skinks

Type species: Liopholis moniligera Fitzinger 1843 , by monotypy [= L. whitii ].

Diagnosis: (from Gardner et al. 2008): Relatively small to moderate-sized skinks (adult SVL 75‒200 mm); head and body squarish in cross-section; midbody scales in 34‒52 rows, the dorsals smooth (keeled in L. pulchra ); nasal scale without postnarial groove; subocular scale row incomplete; eyes relatively large, the eyelids usually with distinct cream margins, easily differentiated from adjacent scales. Terrestrial; mainly diurnal with some species crepuscular to nocturnal; viviparous. For content, see Cogger (2014) and Wilson & Swan (2021).

Etymology. Fitzinger (1843: 22) provided no derivation of name, but it is presumably from the original Greek Leios latinised to Lio meaning smooth or flat and from the Greek Pholis meaning scale of a reptile.