Maccoy's elf skink

Anepischetosia maccoyi, also known commonly as the highlands forest-skink,^[2] highlands forest skink,^[3] Maccoy's elf skink,^[3] or McCoy's skink,^[3] is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Anepischetosia,^[2] and is endemic to Australia.

Maccoy's elf skink
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Anepischetosia Wells & Wellington, 1985
Species:	A. maccoyi
Binomial name
Anepischetosia maccoyi (Lucas & C. Frost, 1894)
Synonyms[2]
Siaphos maccoyi Lucas & C. Frost, 1894 Lygosoma (Leiolopisma) maccoyi — M.A. Smith, 1937 Anotis maccoyi — Greer, 1974 Hemiergis maccoyi — Cogger, 1983 Anepischetos [sic] maccoyi — Wells & Wellington, 1984 Anepischetos sharmani Wells & Wellington, 1984 Anepischetosia maccoyi — Wells & Wellington, 1985 Anepischetosia brindabellaensis Wells & Wellington, 1985 Nannoscincus (Nannoseps) maccoyi — Sadlier, 1990 Anepischetosia maccoyi — Sadlier et al., 2006

Etymology

The specific name, maccoyi, is in honor of Irish zoologist Frederick McCoy.^[3]

Taxonomy

The generic name, Anepischetosia, was created by Australian herpetologists Richard W. Wells and C. Ross Wellington in 1985 to replace the generic name, Anepischetos, which was preoccupied by a genus of moths.^[2] Anepischetosia is in the subfamily Eugongylinae.^[4]

Reproduction

A. maccoyi appears to be ovoviviparous. The Reptile Database describes the species as being oviparous.^[2] However, Lucas and Frost, in their original description of the species in 1894, wrote, "Young developed within the body of the parent, eight or nine being brought forth in January or February."^[5]

References

1. Hutchinson, M.; Clemann, N.; Michael, D.; Gillespie, G.; Chapple, D.G.; Melville, J. (2018). "Anepischetosia maccoyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T102965197A102965208. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T102965197A102965208.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
2. Anepischetosia maccoyi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 31 August 2018.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Nannoscincus maccoyi, p. 172).
4. "Anepischetosia ". Dahms Tierleben. https://www.dahmstierleben.de/systematik/Reptilien/Squamata/lacertilia/scincomorpha/scincidae/eugongylinae. (in German).
5. Lucas AHS, Frost C (1894).

Further reading

• Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. ISBN 978-0643100350.
• Lucas AHS, Frost C (1894). "The Lizards indigenous to Victoria". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria [New Series ] 6: 24-92 + Plate II. (Siaphos maccoyi, new species, pp. 85–86 + Plate II, figures 2, 2a).
• Wells, Richard W.; Wellington, C. Ross (1985). "A Classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia". Australian Journal of Herpetology Supplemental Series (1): 1-61. (Anepischetosia, new genus, p. 23).
• Wison, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. ISBN 978-1921517280.