Scincidae
Scincidae is a large family of lizards commonly called skinks. Its members vary widely in form, but many have smooth scales and elongated bodies.
Squamata: The reptile order containing lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians. Scincidae is one of the major lizard families within this order.
Locomotion: The movement of an organism from place to place. Limbed, limbless, and short-legged skinks use different forms of locomotion.
Island biogeography: The study of how island area, isolation, and history shape species distributions. Island skinks illustrate how isolation can produce distinctive faunas and endemism.
Lacertidae: A family of mostly terrestrial lizards known as true lizards or wall lizards. Lacertids and skinks are separate lizard families with different typical body forms.
Lizard: A diverse group of squamate reptiles, typically with four limbs, movable eyelids, and external ear openings. Skinks are lizards, though some lineages have reduced or lost their limbs.
Tail regeneration: The regrowth of a lost tail, usually producing a structure unlike the original. After tail autotomy, many skinks regrow a simpler replacement tail.
Insular gigantism: The evolution of unusually large body size in species isolated on islands. Some extinct island skinks became far larger than their mainland relatives.
Gekkonidae: A large family of lizards commonly called geckos, many adapted for climbing. Geckos often have specialized adhesive toes, unlike the usual skink body plan.
Squamation: The arrangement and structure of an animal's scales. Scale shape and arrangement help distinguish skink groups and species.
Tongue-flicking: The repeated extension of a tongue to collect chemical cues from the environment. Skinks use tongue-flicking to sample scents and investigate food or surroundings.