Kishinoue's giant skink
Species of lizard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kishinoue's giant skink (Plestiodon kishinouyei), also known as the Japanese skink,[1] is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae, endemic to the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
| Kishinoue's giant skink | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Plestiodon |
| Species: | P. kishinouyei |
| Binomial name | |
| Plestiodon kishinouyei Stejneger, 1901 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Eumeces kishinouyei | |
The species name is a tribute to Japanese fisheries biologist Kamakichi Kishinouye (岸上 鎌吉, 1867–1929).
Description
Plestiodon kishinouyei is about 30–40 cm (12–16 in) in total length (including tail), with a snout to vent length of 14.0–17.2 cm (5.5–6.8 in). It is the largest member of its widely distributed, speciose genus,[2] and thus appears to be an example of island gigantism.
