Shrubland Morethia Skink

About the Shrubland Morethia Skink

The shrubland Morethia skink (Morethia obscura) is a species of skink endemic to Australia, of the family Scincidae, found in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria (Australia), Western Australia in Australia. Prior to 1845, this species of skink had been generally recognised as species M. lineoocellatus. In 1845, J.E Gray an eminent British zoologist, distinguished the shrubland Morethia skink from the M. lineoocellatus as it had supranasal scales and renamed it M. anomalus. G.M. Storr described the more commonly known shrubland morethia skink as Morethia obscura in 1972. In 1972, Storr carried out a study and made observations based on research conducted by M. Smyth in the same year. This separated the new species M. obscura from M. lineoocellata using the condition of the supraciliary scales described by Smyth and the presence of supranasal scales as the major diagnostic.

Skinks are small reptiles that belong to the family Scincidae. The family Scinicidae is described as being one of the most diverse lizard families known. Skinks in general have quite small legs not in proportion to their body size and no pronounced neck but... Wikipedia →