Pseudemoia pagenstecheri

Pseudemoia pagenstecheri, also known commonly as the southern grass tussock skink or the southern tussock grass skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.

Pseudemoia pagenstecheri
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Scinciformata
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Eugongylidae
Genus:	Pseudemoia
Species:	P. pagenstecheri
Binomial name
Pseudemoia pagenstecheri (Lindholm, 1901)
Synonyms[2]
Lygosoma (Liolepisma) pagenstecheri Lindholm, 1901 Pseudemoia pagenstecheri — Hutchinson & Donnellan, 1992

Etymology

The specific name, pagenstecheri, is in honour of German zoologist Heinrich Alexander Pagenstecher.^[3]

Geographic range

P. pagenstecheri is found in eastern New South Wales, Tasmania, and northeastern Victoria, Australia.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of P. pagenstecheri is tussock grassland, especially medium to tall tussock grass.^[4][1]

Reproduction

P. pagenstecheri is viviparous.^[2]

Hybridization

P. pagenstecheri is known to hybridize with two other species in its genus, P. cryodroma and P. entrecasteauxii.^[5]

Conservation status

The Tussock Skink is listed as 'Least Concern' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species. However acknowledged that the current population is decreasing, especially in the Western Volcanic Plains of Melbourne.^[1] This is further confirmed by the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act listing the species as 'Endangered' in the Volcanic Plains and in the High Country (alpine) areas. The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act uses the common assessment method, the method developed and considered best practice by IUCN, (and used to create the Red List).^[6]