NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Two-toed Earless Skink
Hemiergis quadrilineatus (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
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
The two-toed earless skink (Hemiergis quadrilineatus) is a common species of skink found in coastal south-western, Western Australia. It is characterized by its long tail, an absence of ear-holes, shiny skin, yellow underside, and short weak limbs, each of which with only two toes. It can grow to be over 10 cm in length, however the average size is approximately 7.5 cm. It also exhibits a snake-like movement, and due to the small size and non-functionality of limbs in locomotion, it is often referred to as a legless lizard.
It typically inhabits bushland and scrub, however it is commonly found in Perth suburban backyards amongst leaves or under rocks.
Wikipedia contributors, Two-toed earless skink; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:10:04.356966+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Hemiergis quadrilineatus (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
- Name authority
- (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
- Common name
- Two-toed Earless Skink
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Scincidae
- Genus
- Hemiergis
- 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
- genusHemiergis
- speciesHemiergis quadrilineatus (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Hemiergis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Triodia Earless SkinkHemiergis millewae Coventry, 1976 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Victoria Three-toed Earless SkinkHemiergis talbingoensis Copland, 1946 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Three-toed Earless SkinkHemiergis decresiensis (Cuvier, 1829) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| South-western Mulch-skinkHemiergis gracilipes (Steindachner, 1870) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Southwestern Earless SkinkHemiergis initialis (Werner, 1910) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Lowlands Earless SkinkHemiergis peronii (Gray, 1831) | 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 |
|---|---|
| Chelomeles quadrilineatus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 Duméril & Bibron, 1839 | 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=Hemiergis&species=quadrilineatus 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:3KNNY. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.