Biology:Lampropholis

Lampropholis is a genus of skinks, commonly known as sunskinks, in the lizard subfamily Eugongylinae of the family Scincidae.^[1] The genus Lampropholis was previously found to belong to a clade with the genera Niveoscincus, Leiolopisma and others of the Eugongylus group within Lygosominae.^[2] All species of Lampropholis are endemic to Australia. For similar skinks see genera Bassiana, Pseudemoia, and Niveoscincus.

Diet

Sunskinks feed on invertebrates such as crickets, moths, slaters (woodlice), earthworms, and cockroaches.

The following 15 species are recognized as being valid.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Lampropholis adonis Ingram, 1991 – diamond-shielded sunskink, Ingram's litter skink
Lampropholis amicula Ingram & Rawlinson, 1981 – friendly sunskink
Lampropholis bellendenkerensis Singhal, Hoskin, Couper, Potter & Moritz, 2018
Lampropholis caligula Ingram & Rawlinson, 1981 – montane sunskink
Lampropholis coggeri Ingram, 1991 – northern rainforest sunskink
Lampropholis colossus Ingram, 1991 – Bunya sunskink
Lampropholis couperi Ingram, 1991 – plain-backed sunskink
Lampropholis delicata (De Vis, 1888) – delicate skink, rainbow skink, garden skink, delicate grass skink
Lampropholis elliotensis Singhal, Hoskin, Couper, Potter & Moritz, 2018
Lampropholis elongata Greer, 1997 – long sunskink, elongate sunskink
Lampropholis guichenoti (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839) – common garden skink, pale-flecked garden sunskink, grass skink, Guichenot's grass skink
Lampropholis isla (Hoskin, 2025)^[6]
Lampropholis mirabilis Ingram & Rawlinson, 1981 – saxicoline sunskink
Lampropholis robertsi Ingram, 1991 – grey-bellied sunskink
Lampropholis similis Singhal, Hoskin, Couper, Potter & Moritz, 2018 – southern rainforest sunskink

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Lampropholis.

↑ Uetz, P.; Freed, P.; Hošek, J., eds. "Eugongylinae". http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search?taxon=Eugongylinae&exact%5B0%5D=taxon&submit=search.
↑ Austin JJ, Arnold EN (2006). "Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39 (2): 503–511. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011 (HTML abstract).
↑ Lampropholis. The Reptile Database.
↑ Wilson S, Swan G (2006). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Second Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishing. 512 pp. ISBN 978-1877069468.
↑ Wells RW (2002). "Some Taxonomic Changes to the Genus Lampropholis (Reptilia: Scincidae) from Australia" . Australian Biodiversity Record (8): 1-24.
↑ Hoskin, Conrad J. (2025-01-27). "A new species of Lampropholis skink (Lacertilia: Scincidae) from Scawfell Island, mid-east Queensland, Australia" (in en). Australian Journal of Taxonomy 85: 1–13. https://www.taxonomyaustralia.org.au/ajt/papers/rhsdlczqli.