Gardiner's Burrowing Skink

Taxobox
name = Gardiner's Burrowing Skink
status = LC
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia (paraphyletic)
unranked_ordo = Sauria
ordo = Squamata (paraphyletic)
infraordo = Scincomorpha
familia = Scincidae
subfamilia = see text
genus = "Pamelaescincus"
genus_authority = Greer, 1970
species = "P. gardineri"
binomial = "Pamelaescincus gardineri"
binomial_authority = (Boulenger, 1909)

Gardiner's Burrowing Skink ("Pamelaescincus gardineri") is the only species of the skink genus "Pamelaescincus".

It is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae which seems to be paraphyletic however. Probably quite close to "Janetaescincus", it belongs to a major clade which does not seem to include the type genus "Scincus". Thus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily.(Austin & Arnold 2006)

"Pamelaescincus gardineri" is found only in the Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, where it buries in the leaf litter and soil.

Populations are locally affected by introduced predators and habitat destruction, but unlike its relatives, it is not considered an endangered species by the IUCN (Gerlach & Ineich 2006).

References

* (2006): Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered "Leiolopisma" skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands. "Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution" 39(2): 503–511. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011 (HTML abstract)
*|year=1996|id=61439|title=Pamelaescincus gardineri|downloaded=10 Jul 2007 Database entry includes justification why this species is of least concern.

External links

[http://members.aol.com/jstgerlach/herps.htm Monitoring and conservation of Seychelles reptiles and amphibians]