Menetia alanae explained

Menetia alanae, also known commonly as Alana's menetia and the Top End dwarf skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.

Etymology

The specific name, alanae (genitive, feminine) is in honor of Australian herpetologist Alana Young.^[1]

Geographic range

M. alanae is found in Northern Territory in Australia.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of M. alanae are forest and savanna.

Description

M. alanae is a small, long-tailed skink. It may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 29mm. The tail is 1.3 times SVL.^[2]

Reproduction

M. alanae is oviparous.

Further reading

• Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
• Rankin PR (1979). "A taxonomic revision of the genus Menetia (Lacertilia, Scincidae) in the Northern Territory". Records of the Australian Museum 32 (14): 491–499. (Menetia alanae, new species, pp. 492–493 + Figures 1–3).
• Wilson S, Swan G (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .

Notes and References

1. [Richard Allen "Bo" Crombet-Beolens|Beolens B]
2. [Peter R. Rankin|Rankin]