Kishinoue's giant skink (Plestiodon kishinouyei), also known as the Japanese skink,[1] is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae, endemic to the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Kishinoue's giant skink | |
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A roadkilled specimen at Ishigaki Island, 2019 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Scincidae |
Genus: | Plestiodon |
Species: | P. kishinouyei
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Binomial name | |
Plestiodon kishinouyei Stejneger, 1901
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Synonyms | |
Eumeces kishinouyei |
The species name is a tribute to Japanese fisheries biologist Kamakichi Kishinouye (岸上 鎌吉, 1867–1929).
Plestiodon kishinouyei is about 30–40 cm in total length (including tail), with a snout to vent length of 14.0–17.2 cm. It is the largest member of its widely distributed, speciose genus,[2] and thus appears to be an example of island gigantism.