# Scincella

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Genus of lizards

"Ground skink" redirects here. For a particular species, see [Scincella lateralis](/source/Scincella_lateralis).

Scincella Scincella lateralis, a ground skink Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Scincidae Subfamily: Sphenomorphinae Genus: Scincella Mittleman, 1950[1] Synonyms Paralipinia Darevsky & Orlov, 1997

***Scincella*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [lizards](/source/Lizard) in the [skink](/source/Skink) [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)), [Scincidae](/source/Scincidae), commonly referred to as **ground skinks**.[1] The exact number of [species](/source/Species) in the genus is unclear, as [taxonomic](/source/Taxonomy_(biology)) reclassification is ongoing, and sources vary widely. *Scincella* species primarily range throughout the temperate regions of the world and are typically small, [fossorial](/source/Fossorial) lizards, which consume a wide variety of [arthropods](/source/Arthropod). They are a generalized insectivore with well developed chemosensory abilities.[2]

## Description

The Ground Skink (*Scincella lateralis)* a medium sized skink, that have a shiny brown back. They are most commonly found in moist woodland areas throughout the southeastern [United States](/source/United_States).[3]

Horsetail Falls ground skink (*Scincella caudaequinae*) municipality of Jaumave, Tamaulipas, Mexico (11 August 2003).

## Species

The genus *Scincella* contains the following 53 recognized species:[4][5]

- *[Scincella alia](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_alia&action=edit&redlink=1)* Bragin, Zenin, Nguyen & Poyarkov, 2025

- *[Scincella apraefrontalis](/source/Scincella_apraefrontalis)* [Nguyen](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nguyen_Quang_Truong&action=edit&redlink=1) et al., 2010 - Huulien ground skink

- *[Scincella assata](/source/Scincella_assata)* ([Cope](/source/Edward_Drinker_Cope), 1864) - red forest skink

- *[Scincella auranticaudata](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_auranticaudata&action=edit&redlink=1)* Nguyen, Nguyen, Le, Nguyen, Phan, Vo, Murphy & Che, 2025

- *[Scincella badenensis](/source/Scincella_badenensis)* Nguyen, Nguyen, Nguyen, & Murphy, 2019 - Baden ground skink

- *[Scincella balluca](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_balluca&action=edit&redlink=1)* Bragin, Zenin, Le, Nguyen, Nguyen, Bobrov & Poyarkov, 2025

- *[Scincella baraensis](/source/Scincella_baraensis)* Nguyen, Nguyen, Nguyen & Murphy, 2020

- *[Scincella barbouri](/source/Scincella_barbouri)* ([Stejneger](/source/Leonhard_Stejneger), 1925) - Barbour's ground skink

- *[Scincella boettgeri](/source/Scincella_boettgeri)* ([Van Denburgh](/source/John_Van_Denburgh), 1912) - Boettger's ground skink

- *[Scincella capitanea](/source/Scincella_capitanea)* [Ouboter](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_E._Ouboter&action=edit&redlink=1), 1986 - large ground skink

- *[Scincella caudaequinae](/source/Scincella_caudaequinae)* ([H.M. Smith](/source/Hobart_Muir_Smith), 1951) - Horsetail Falls ground skink

- *[Scincella chengduensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_chengduensis&action=edit&redlink=1)* Jia, Ren, Jiang, & Li, 2025

- *[Scincella cherriei](/source/Scincella_cherriei)* (Cope, 1893) - brown forest skink

- *[Scincella darevskii](/source/Scincella_darevskii)* Nguyen et al., 2010 - Darevsky's ground skink

- *[Scincella devorator](/source/Scincella_devorator)* ([Darevsky](/source/Ilya_Darevsky), [Orlov](/source/Nikolai_Liutsianovich_Orlov) & [Cuc](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ho_Thu_Cuc&action=edit&redlink=1), 2004)

- *[Scincella doriae](/source/Scincella_doriae)* ([Boulenger](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger), 1887) - Doria's ground skink, Doria's smooth skink

- *[Scincella dunan](/source/Scincella_dunan)* Koizumi, Ota, & Hikida, 2022

- *[Scincella fansipanensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_fansipanensis&action=edit&redlink=1)* Okabe, Motokawa, Koizumi, Nguyen, Nguyen & Bui, 2024

- *[Scincella forbesorum](/source/Scincella_forbesorum)* ([Taylor](/source/Edward_Harrison_Taylor), 1937)

- *[Scincella formosensis](/source/Scincella_formosensis)* (Van Denburgh, 1912) - Van Denburgh's ground skink

- *[Scincella gemmingeri](/source/Scincella_gemmingeri)* (Cope, 1864) - forest ground skink

- *[Scincella honbaensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_honbaensis&action=edit&redlink=1)* Nguyen, Nguyen, Le, Nguyen, Phan, Vo, Murphy & Che, 2025

- *[Scincella heishuiensi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_heishuiensi&action=edit&redlink=1)* Liu, Pu, Tan, Chen, Lyu, Shu, Wu, Dong & Guo, 2026

- *[Scincella huanrenensis](/source/Scincella_huanrenensis)* [Zhao](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Er-mi_Zhao) & [Huang](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kang-cai_Huang&action=edit&redlink=1), 1982

- *[Scincella incerta](/source/Scincella_incerta)* ([Stuart](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Cooper_Stuart), 1940)

- *[Scincella jinchuanensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_jinchuanensis&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Liu et al., 2026)[6]

- *[Scincella kikaapoa](/source/Scincella_kikaapoa)* [García-Vázquez](/source/Uri_Omar_Garc%C3%ADa-V%C3%A1zquez) et al., 2010

- *[Scincella lateralis](/source/Scincella_lateralis)* ([Say](/source/Thomas_Say), 1823) - little brown skink, ground skink

- *[Scincella liangshanensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_liangshanensis&action=edit&redlink=1)* Jia, Gao, Wu, Ren, Jiang & Wu, 2024

- *[Scincella macrotis](/source/Scincella_macrotis)* ([Steindachner](/source/Franz_Steindachner), 1867) - large-eared ground skink

- *[Scincella maerkangensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_maerkangensis&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Liu et al., 2026)[6]

- *[Scincella melanosticta](/source/Scincella_melanosticta)* (Boulenger, 1887) - black ground skink, black-spotted smooth skink

- *[Scincella modesta](/source/Scincella_modesta)* (Günther, 1864) - modest ground skink

- *[Scincella montana](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_montana&action=edit&redlink=1)* Valdenegro-Brito, Esaú, De la Vega-Pérez & García-Vázquez, 2025

- *[Scincella monticola](/source/Scincella_monticola)* ([K.P. Schmidt](/source/Karl_Patterson_Schmidt), 1925) - mountainous dwarf skink

- *[Scincella ngati](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_ngati&action=edit&redlink=1)* A. V. Pham, et al. 2026[7]

- *[Scincella nigrofasciata](/source/Scincella_nigrofasciata)* Neang, Chan, & Poyarkov, 2018

- *[Scincella ochracea](/source/Scincella_ochracea)* ([Bourret](/source/Ren%C3%A9_L%C3%A9on_Bourret), 1937)

- *[Scincella ouboteri](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_ouboteri&action=edit&redlink=1)* A. V. Pham, C. T. Pham, Le, Ngoc, Ziegler & Nguyen, 2024

- *[Scincella potanini](/source/Scincella_potanini)* (Günther, 1896)

- *[Scincella przewalskii](/source/Scincella_przewalskii)* ([Bedriaga](/source/Jacques_von_Bedriaga), 1912)

- *[Scincella punctatolineata](/source/Scincella_punctatolineata)* (Boulenger, 1893) - Burma smooth skink

- *[Scincella qianica](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_qianica&action=edit&redlink=1)* Xu, Weng, Poyarkov, Zhang, Deng & Peng, 2025

- *[Scincella rara](/source/Scincella_rara)* (Darevsky & Orlov, 1997) - double subdigital-pads skink

- *[Scincella reevesii](/source/Scincella_reevesii)* (Gray, 1838) - Reeves's smooth skink

- *[Scincella rufocaudata](/source/Scincella_rufocaudata)* (Darevsky & Nguyen, 1983) - red-tailed ground skink

- *[Scincella rupicola](/source/Scincella_rupicola)* (M.A. Smith, 1916)

- *[Scincella schmidti](/source/Scincella_schmidti)* ([Barbour](/source/Thomas_Barbour), 1927)

- *[Scincella silvicola](/source/Scincella_silvicola)* (Taylor, 1937)

- *[Scincella stuarti](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_stuarti&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Smith, 1941)

- *[Scincella tenuistriata](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_tenuistriata&action=edit&redlink=1)* Xu, Gong, Nguyen, Deng, Bragin, Weng, Zhang, Poyarkov & Peng, 2025

- *[Scincella truongi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scincella_truongi&action=edit&redlink=1)* A. V. Pham, Ziegler, C. T. Pham, Hoang, Ngo & Le, 2025

- *[Scincella tsinlingensis](/source/Scincella_tsinlingensis)* ([Hu](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shu-Qin_Hu) & Zhao, 1966)

- *[Scincella vandenburghi](/source/Scincella_vandenburghi)* (K.P. Schmidt, 1927) - Korean skink, Tsushima ground skink, Tsushima smooth skink)

- *[Scincella victoriana](/source/Scincella_victoriana)* ([Shreve](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Shreve), 1940)[1]

- *[Scincella wangyuezhaoi](/source/Scincella_wangyuezhaoi)* Jia, Gao, Huang, Ren, Jiang, & Li, 2023

*[Nota bene](/source/Nota_bene)*: A [binomial authority](/source/Binomial_nomenclature) in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than *Scincella*.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ITIS_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ITIS_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ITIS_1-2) ["*Scincella*"](https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=174006). [Integrated Taxonomic Information System](/source/Integrated_Taxonomic_Information_System). Retrieved 5 December 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Nicoletto, Paul F. (September 1985). ["The Relative Roles of Vision and Olfaction in Prey Detection by the Ground Skink, Scincella lateralis"](https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1564269). *Journal of Herpetology*. **19** (3): 411–415. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2307/1564269](https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1564269). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0022-1511](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0022-1511). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [1564269](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1564269).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Rheubert, J.L.; McHugh, H.H.; Collier, M.H.; Sever, D.M.; Gribbins, K.M. (July 2009). ["Temporal germ cell development strategy during spermatogenesis within the testis of the Ground Skink, Scincella lateralis (Sauria: Scincidae)"](https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.01.021). *Theriogenology*. **72** (1): 54–61. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.01.021](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.theriogenology.2009.01.021). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0093-691X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0093-691X). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19344944](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19344944).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RDB_4-0)** *[Scincella](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/search.php?submit=Search&genus=Scincella)* at the [Reptarium.cz Reptile Database](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/). Accessed 11 July 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Nguyen, Sang Ngoc; Nguyen, Vu Dang Hoang; Nguyen, Luan Thanh; Murphy, Robert W. (2020-10-28). ["A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from southern Vietnam"](https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4868.3.6). *Zootaxa*. **4868** (3): 423–434. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.11646/zootaxa.4868.3.6](https://doi.org/10.11646%2Fzootaxa.4868.3.6). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1175-5334](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1175-5334). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [33311393](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33311393). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [228957224](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:228957224).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Liu2026_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Liu2026_6-1) Liu, Fan; Pu, Hongli; Tan, Songwen; Chen, Jiahao; Cai, Bo; Lyu, Bing; Shu, Guocheng; Wu, Yayong; Guo, Peng (2026-04-03). ["Two new species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata, Scincidae) from southwestern China"](https://zse.pensoft.net/article/184613/). *Zoosystematics and Evolution*. **102** (2): 575–588. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2026ZooEv.102..575L](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026ZooEv.102..575L). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3897/zse.102.184613](https://doi.org/10.3897%2Fzse.102.184613).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Pham, Anh Van; Do, Dang Trong; Nguyen, Truong Quang; Hoang, Chung Van; Nguyen, Mai Hong Thi; Le, Minh; Le, Minh Duc; Ziegler, Thomas; Pham, Cuong The (2026-03-31). ["A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata, Scincidae) from Dak Lak Province, Vietnam"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13058599). *ZooKeys* (1275): 275–298. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2026ZooK.1275..275P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026ZooK.1275..275P). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3897/zookeys.1275.178070](https://doi.org/10.3897%2Fzookeys.1275.178070). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1313-2970](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1313-2970). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [13058599](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13058599). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [41960290](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41960290).

## Further reading

- [Mittleman MB](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Myron_Budd_Mittleman&action=edit&redlink=1) (1950). "The Generic Status of *Scincus lateralis* Say, 1823". *Herpetologica* **6** (2): 17–24. (*Scincella*, new genus).

- [Ouboter, PE](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_E._Ouboter&action=edit&redlink=1) (1986). "A revision of the genus *Scincella* (Reptilia: Sauria: Scincidae) of Asia, with some notes on its evolution". *Zoologische Verhandelingen*. **229**: 1–66.

Taxon identifiers Scincella Wikidata: Q1073830 Wikispecies: Scincella BOLD: 169297 CoL: 643FW EoL: 35459 GBIF: 2461335 iNaturalist: 37647 IRMNG: 1302022 ITIS: 174006 NCBI: 155318 Open Tree of Life: 741854 ZooBank: 2E0054BB-EA3D-4273-BC6F-A19993671088

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