Kingdom Animalia Family Scincidae Scientific name Pamelaescincus gardineri Rank Species | Class Reptilia Subfamily see text Phylum Chordata Order Scaled reptiles | |
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Genus Pamelaescincus
Greer, 1970 Similar Scaled reptiles, Pinoyscincus jagori, Parvoscincus, Scelotes, Brachymeles | ||
Gardiner's burrowing skink (Pamelaescincus gardineri ) is the only species (monotypic) of the skink genus Pamelaescincus.
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Etymology
The generic name, Pamelaescincus, is in honor of Pamela, the older of Allen E. Greer's two sisters.
The specific name, gardineri, is in honor of British zoologist John Stanley Gardiner.
Taxonomy
P. gardineri is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae, which seems to be paraphyletic. Probably quite close to Janetaescincus, it belongs to a major clade that does not seem to include the type genus Scincus. Thus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily.
Geographic range
Pamelaescincus gardineri is found only in the Seychelles.
Habitat
The natural habitats of P. gardineri are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, where it buries in the leaf litter and soil.
Conservation status
Populations of P. gardeneri are locally affected by introduced predators and habitat destruction, but unlike its relatives, it is not considered an endangered species by the IUCN.