Lygosominae is the largest subfamily of skinks in the family Scincidae. The subfamily can be divided into a number of genus groups. If the rarely used taxonomic rank of infrafamily is employed, the genus groups would be designated as such, but such a move would require a formal description according to the ICZN standards.
Also, several Lygosominae genera were notorious "wastebin taxa" in the past, with scientists assigning more or less closely related species to them in a haphazard fashion and without verifying that the new species were close relatives of the genera's type species. What was once placed in Lygosoma, for example, is now divided among some 15 genera. Similarly, Mabuya and Sphenomorphus are having species moved elsewhere even today. Obsolete genera include Euprepis.
Egernia group
Corucia – Solomon Islands skinkCyclodomorphusEgernia – (paraphyletic: including Bellatorias, Liopholis and Lissolepis, which are better regarded as distinct)Tiliqua – blue-tongued skinksEugongylus group
Bassiana (= Acritoscincus) – "cool-skins"Carlia – four-fingered skinksCryptoblepharus – snake-eyed skinks, shining-skinksEmoia – emoiasEugongylus – mastiff skinks, short-legged giant skinksLampropholis – Indo-Australian ground skinksLeiolopismaNiveoscincus – snow skinks, "cool-skins"OligosomaMabuya group
Chioninia – Cape Verde mabuyas (formerly in Mabuya)Dasia — Southeast Asian tree skinks, including Apterygodon (now considered to be part of Dasia)Eumecia — Central African elongated skinks Eutropis – Asian (formerly in Mabuya)Heremites — Mediterranean (North Africa and Middle Eastern species) Mabuya – American mabuyasToenayar — composed of a single species in India/Indochina Trachylepis – Afro-Malagasy mabuyas (formerly in Mabuya)Sphenomorphus group
Anomalopus – worm-skinksCtenotus – comb-eared skinksEulamprus – water skinksGlaphyromorphus Gnypetoscincus – Prickly SkinkInsulasaurus Lipinia – lipiniasOtosaurus Parvoscincus Pinoyscincus Scincella – ground skinks Sphenomorphus – common skinks (paraphyletic) Tytthoscincus Undetermined
EremiascincusHemisphaeriodon – pink-tongued skinksLamprolepis – tree skinksLeristaLobuliaLygosoma – writhing skinksSaproscincus – shade skinksTribolonotus – crocodile skinks (Egernia group?)"Hinulia" elegans, described by Grey in 1838, is unidentified, but may be Eulamprus tenuis.
