Ctenotus strauchii

Ctenotus strauchii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Ctenotus
Species:	C. strauchii
Binomial name
Ctenotus strauchii (Boulenger, 1887)
Synonyms[2]
Lygosoma strauchii Boulenger, 1887 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) strauchi — M.A. Smith, 1937 Ctenotus strauchii — Cogger, 1983

Ctenotus strauchii, also known commonly as the eastern barred wedge-snout ctenotus or Strauch's ctenotus, is a small species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and is found throughout semi-arid and arid regions in most of Australia's mainland states except Western Australia, although one record does exist for Western Australia in 1975.^[3]

The specific name, strauchii, is in honour of Russian herpetologist Alexander Strauch.^[4]

C. strauchii is a small skink, that has an average snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 5.5 cm (2.2 in), and varies in colour from chocolate brown to reddish-brown.^[5] A series of pale spots are enclosed by a black laterodorsal stripe, which is edged by a white dorsolateral stripe.^[6] This stripe is bordered above by a line of small black blotches.^[5] The upper flanks are black with a series of between 1 and 3 pale mostly vertical dots.^[5] A narrow white stripe may run from below the eye right through the mid body, where it passes through the groin and continues as a lower lateral stripe until it breaks up into spots of flecks of white along the side of the tail.^[5]

C. strauchii is oviparous, which means it lays eggs.^[7] This contrasts with other skink species which are live bearers (viviparous). Egg clutch size is unknown.^[8]

The conservation status of Ctenotus strauchii is listed as Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) risk.^[7] It does not qualify for a more at-risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

Although listed as common C. strauchii is not immune to environmental threats such as:

• Climate change
• Habitat destruction
• Habitat degradation
• Feral predators such as foxes, dogs and cats
• Disease
• Cane toads^[9]

C. strauchii inhabits areas with hard stony soils with minimal vegetation cover in woodland and scrubland areas, within the semi-arid and dry regions of Eastern Australia.^[6] It is found amongst debris such as fallen timber, leaf litter and other debris within mallee, savannah woodland and grassland areas^[5] C. strauchii was given its scientific name by George Albert Boulenger a Belgian-British zoologist who described and gave scientific names to over 2,000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Skinks of the genus Ctenotus are often called comb-eared skinks, a reference to the scales aligned near the ear. They are active, diurnal lizards found in a variety of habitats.

Ctenotus strauchii has been recorded in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Northern Territory^[3]

• Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Lygosoma strauchii, new species, p. 229 + Plate XII, figures 3, 3a).
• Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia. CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. ISBN 978-0643100350.
• Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. ISBN 978-1921517280.

This skink article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e