Allan's lerista explained
Allan's lerista (Lerista allanae), also known commonly as Allan's skink and the greater robust fine-lined slider, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. This rare species is endemic to Queensland, Australia.
Etymology
The specific name, allanae, is in honor of "Mrs. P.C. Allan" who presented many interesting specimens to the Queensland Museum.[1]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of L. allanae is forest.
Description
L. allanae has its limbs much reduced. It has no front legs, and each of its back legs has only one digit. The digit bears a claw.
The maximum recorded snout-to-vent length (SVL) for L. allanae is 8.8cm (03.5inches).
Reproduction
L. allanae is oviparous.
Conservation status
L. allanae is listed as "critically endangered" under the IUCN Red List, and as "endangered" on Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992.[2]
Further reading
- Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
- Greer AE (1967). "A New Generic Arrangement for some Australian Scincid Lizards". Breviora (267): 1–19. (Lerista allanae, new combination, p. 19).
- Longman HA (1937). "Herpetological Notes". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 11: 165–168. (Rhodona allanae, new species, p. 167).
- Wilson S, Swan G (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .
Notes and References
- Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Lerista allanae, p. 5).
- Web site: Lerista allanae – Allan's Lerista, Retro Slider. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. 18 June 2020.
