NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Straight-browed Ctenotus
Ctenotus spaldingi (Macleay, 1877)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Ctenotus spaldingi is a diurnal terrestrial skink (Scincidae) species of lizard, commonly known as the straight-browed ctenotus or Spalding's ctenotus. Native to Australia the species is found in the northern areas of Australia, along the east coast, in the north and east of South Australia and throughout Victoria and in southern Papua New Guinea. Their conservation status is of least concern classified by the IUCN. Individuals can be up to 30cm long from the snout to tail or 10cm long from the snout to vent (SVL). They typically inhabit grasslands and low vegetation in savannah woodlands in coastal dune areas, monsoon scrub and woodland commonly found around rock outcrops and when disturbed will hide in shallow burrows or amongst ground litter.
Wikipedia contributors, Ctenotus spaldingi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:01:35.800150+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ctenotus spaldingi (Macleay, 1877)
- Name authority
- (Macleay, 1877)
- Common name
- Straight-browed Ctenotus
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Scincidae
- Genus
- Ctenotus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderAutarchoglossa
- familyScincidae
- subfamilySphenomorphinae
- genusCtenotus
- speciesCtenotus spaldingi (Macleay, 1877)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Ctenotus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Airlie Island CtenotusCtenotus angusticeps Storr, 1988 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Ariadna's CtenotusCtenotus ariadnae Storr, 1969 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Jabiluka CtenotusCtenotus arnhemensis Storr, 1981 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Stony Downs CtenotusCtenotus astarte Czechura, 1986 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Arnhem Striped CtenotusCtenotus astictus Horner, 1995 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Short-clawed CtenotusCtenotus brachyonyx Storr, 1971 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Capricorn CtenotusCtenotus capricorni Storr, 1981 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Chain-striped South-west CtenotusCtenotus catenifer Storr, 1974 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brown-backed CtenotusCtenotus coggeri Sadlier, 1985 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Buff-tailed Finesnout CtenotusCtenotus colletti (Boulenger, 1896) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Darling Range South-west CtenotusCtenotus delli Storr, 1974 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Fine Side-lined CtenotusCtenotus dux Storr, 1969 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Hinulia spaldingi Macleay, 1877 Macleay, 1877 | synonym |
| Lygosoma dorsale Boulenger, 1887 Boulenger, 1887 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Ctenotus&species=spaldingi Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:327NG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.