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Eastern three-lined skink
The eastern three-lined skink (Acritoscincus duperreyi), also known commonly as the bold-striped cool-skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia. A. duperreyi has been extensively studied in the context of understanding the evolution of learning, viviparity in lizards, and temperature- and genetic-sex determination. A. duperreyi is classified as a species of "Least Concern" by the IUCN.
The species has also been placed in the genus Bassiana, with two other species of skink: B. trilineata and B. palynota. Micro-genetic analyses have revealed that the genus Bassiana began to diversify during the Miocene, suggesting that these three lineages started to form between 16.2 and 9.7 million years ago. Individual species in the genus began to diversify as well through the Miocene and into the Early Pleistocene. Within A. duperreyi, population-level diversification between the population on Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, and mainland Australia likely took place during the Upper Pliocene through the Early Pleistocene. Genetic evidence suggests that there are seven distinct lineages of A. duperreyi: five on mainland Australia, one on Tasmania and Flinders Island, and another on Kangaroo Island.
The eastern three-lined skink is called many common names and has been referred to by multiple scientific names as well in past literature. Modern research refers to the eastern three-lined skink as Acritoscincus duperreyi (Gray, 1838). However, in the past, the eastern three-lined skink was also referred to as Tiliqua duperreyi in Gray's original description in 1838; Acritoscincus duperreyi by Wells and Wellington in 1984 and 1985; Bassiana duperreyi by Hutchinson et al. in 1990; Leiolopisma duperreyi by Greer in 1982; Leiolopisma eulepis by Frank and Ramus in 1985; Leiolopisma trilineatum by Greer in 1982, and by Cogger in 1983; Lygosoma duperreyii by A.M.C. Dumeril and Bibron in 1839; and Pseudemoia duperreyi by Frank and Ramus in 1985. Common names include the eastern three-lined skink, the bold-striped cool-skink, Duperrey's window-eyed skink, or simply the three-lined skink.
The specific name, duperreyi, was given by British zoologist John Edward Gray, in order to honour French naval officer Louis-Isidore Duperrey. Duperrey was known for his explorations of Australia and the New Guinea archipelago, where he collected various flora and fauna.
A. duperreyi is found in south-eastern Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria), and several islands. The eastern three-lined skink has been found on Babel Island, Big Dog Island, Flinders Island, Little Dog Island, and Maria Island.
A. duperreyi habitats include grasslands, wet-dry sclerophyll forests, temperate forests, temperate shrublands, human-developed pasturelands, and Alpine regions. They are particularly abundant in cool climate regions of south-eastern Australia. Though they are abundant in high-elevation regions, A. duperreyi does not live at higher elevations than 1,650 meters.
A. duperreyi is strongly striped and it has a characteristic pattern of stripes running down the length of its body. Black or grey stripes usually run along the sides of its body, with a black stripe running down the spine as well. A hatchling typically has bright red colouration on its throat, which fades to an orange-pink or disappears after a few weeks of life. The skink has a comparatively small body size, ranging up to 80 millimeters in snout-tail length. Hatchling Bassiana have relatively larger head sizes than adults. Unlike most skinks, A. duperreyi has greater than 22 maxillary teeth. However, like many other skinks, A. duperreyi has an autonomous tail that can easily break away from the rest of the body due to its unique musculature and caudal fracture plate.
Pengilley (1972) distinguished three distinct populations of A. duperreyi based on appearance (Form A, B, and C). Form A can be distinguished from Form B based on its non-continuous dark vertebral stripe, and the rare occurrence of the upper light line in the middle of a scale row. The vertebral line of form C is also broken, however typically into spots as opposed to lines in form A. The lateral line in Form C is also typically absent. Form A has been associated with south-western Australia. Form B has been found in Barrington Tops in New South Wales, Kangaroo Island in South Australia, and Flinders Island, Tasmania. Form C has been found in New South Wales.
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Eastern three-lined skink
The eastern three-lined skink (Acritoscincus duperreyi), also known commonly as the bold-striped cool-skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia. A. duperreyi has been extensively studied in the context of understanding the evolution of learning, viviparity in lizards, and temperature- and genetic-sex determination. A. duperreyi is classified as a species of "Least Concern" by the IUCN.
The species has also been placed in the genus Bassiana, with two other species of skink: B. trilineata and B. palynota. Micro-genetic analyses have revealed that the genus Bassiana began to diversify during the Miocene, suggesting that these three lineages started to form between 16.2 and 9.7 million years ago. Individual species in the genus began to diversify as well through the Miocene and into the Early Pleistocene. Within A. duperreyi, population-level diversification between the population on Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, and mainland Australia likely took place during the Upper Pliocene through the Early Pleistocene. Genetic evidence suggests that there are seven distinct lineages of A. duperreyi: five on mainland Australia, one on Tasmania and Flinders Island, and another on Kangaroo Island.
The eastern three-lined skink is called many common names and has been referred to by multiple scientific names as well in past literature. Modern research refers to the eastern three-lined skink as Acritoscincus duperreyi (Gray, 1838). However, in the past, the eastern three-lined skink was also referred to as Tiliqua duperreyi in Gray's original description in 1838; Acritoscincus duperreyi by Wells and Wellington in 1984 and 1985; Bassiana duperreyi by Hutchinson et al. in 1990; Leiolopisma duperreyi by Greer in 1982; Leiolopisma eulepis by Frank and Ramus in 1985; Leiolopisma trilineatum by Greer in 1982, and by Cogger in 1983; Lygosoma duperreyii by A.M.C. Dumeril and Bibron in 1839; and Pseudemoia duperreyi by Frank and Ramus in 1985. Common names include the eastern three-lined skink, the bold-striped cool-skink, Duperrey's window-eyed skink, or simply the three-lined skink.
The specific name, duperreyi, was given by British zoologist John Edward Gray, in order to honour French naval officer Louis-Isidore Duperrey. Duperrey was known for his explorations of Australia and the New Guinea archipelago, where he collected various flora and fauna.
A. duperreyi is found in south-eastern Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria), and several islands. The eastern three-lined skink has been found on Babel Island, Big Dog Island, Flinders Island, Little Dog Island, and Maria Island.
A. duperreyi habitats include grasslands, wet-dry sclerophyll forests, temperate forests, temperate shrublands, human-developed pasturelands, and Alpine regions. They are particularly abundant in cool climate regions of south-eastern Australia. Though they are abundant in high-elevation regions, A. duperreyi does not live at higher elevations than 1,650 meters.
A. duperreyi is strongly striped and it has a characteristic pattern of stripes running down the length of its body. Black or grey stripes usually run along the sides of its body, with a black stripe running down the spine as well. A hatchling typically has bright red colouration on its throat, which fades to an orange-pink or disappears after a few weeks of life. The skink has a comparatively small body size, ranging up to 80 millimeters in snout-tail length. Hatchling Bassiana have relatively larger head sizes than adults. Unlike most skinks, A. duperreyi has greater than 22 maxillary teeth. However, like many other skinks, A. duperreyi has an autonomous tail that can easily break away from the rest of the body due to its unique musculature and caudal fracture plate.
Pengilley (1972) distinguished three distinct populations of A. duperreyi based on appearance (Form A, B, and C). Form A can be distinguished from Form B based on its non-continuous dark vertebral stripe, and the rare occurrence of the upper light line in the middle of a scale row. The vertebral line of form C is also broken, however typically into spots as opposed to lines in form A. The lateral line in Form C is also typically absent. Form A has been associated with south-western Australia. Form B has been found in Barrington Tops in New South Wales, Kangaroo Island in South Australia, and Flinders Island, Tasmania. Form C has been found in New South Wales.