The genus Bassiana is a small genus from Australia. It was recently raised to incorporate three former Pseudemoia species. All three species are fairly similar in size and scalation. All have shortish limbs and males have red throats during the breeding season. Females are oviparous.
Other common characteristics of the genus are: parietal shields in contact behind the interparietal; transparent palbebral disc in moveable lower eyelid; frontoparietals fused to form a single shield; reduced interparietal; supranasals absent; rostal-frontonasal suture almost as wide as the frontal.
| B. duperreyi, Bold-Striped Cool-Skink | B. platynota, Red-Throated Cool-Skink | B. trilineata, South-Western Cool-Skink |
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Bassiana | ||||
| B. duperreyi | Bold-Striped Cool-Skink | Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria) | 6" | This skink is found in open habitats including woodland, shrub and heath. It may climb low grass tussocks or shrubs to bask. In appearance it is similar to B. trilineata but more conspicuous colour pattern with sharply contrasting stripes on back and flanks. Throat is usually orange-pink. Scalation details: 5 supraciliaries. Dorsal smooth scales in 24-32 rows at midbody. 57-66 paravertebral scale rows. Reproduction: 3-8 eggs per clutch. |
| B. platynota | Red-Throated Cool-Skink | Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria) | 6" | A terrestrial and diurnal skink found in leaf-litter around fallen timber, rock crevices and rock slabs in coastal and montane heathland, dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands. Scalation details: 5 supraciliaries. Dorsal smooth scales in 24-32 rows at midbody. Coloration: dorsally pale silver-grey to brown, with a bronze-brown head. The outer edges of the dorsal scales sometimes have black margins, which produces the effect of either a reticulum or longitudinal lines. A broad black upper stripe runs from snout through eye to base of tail, sometimes with an upper pale edge. There are usually some blackish spots on the rear supralabials. The flanks are silver-grey, merging into the white of the ventral surfaces. Males sometimes have bright pink-red throats, hence the common name. |
| B. trilineata | South-Western Cool-Skink | Australia (West Australia, Tasmania, poss. South Australia) | 6" | A dweller of moist forest and woodland habitats. Scalation details: 5-7 supraciliaries. Suture of rostral and frontonasal much narrower than the frontal. The transparent disc in the eyelid is much smaller than the eye. Dorsal scales smooth or faintly striated in 26-30 rows at midbody. Subdigital lamellae smooth, 18-24 below 4th toe. Coloration: dorsally brown, grey-brown or olive, often with dark brown spots or streaks on the head. There is usually a narrow dark brown vertebral stripe from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail, plus a narrow white or cream dorsolateral stripe running from the head to the base of the tail. This is bordered above by a broader dark brown stripe and below by a broad dark brown zone which usually encloses a faint pale stripe. The white markings on the labials continue as a pale stripe to the ear. A white midlateral stripe extends to the groin. Ventrally the body is silver-grey, olive or whitish. Juveniles have a very conspicuous pattern that often includes additional narrow darker dorsal lines, whereas in older adults the pattern has often faded to just a few pale spots on the flanks. |
Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Harold Cogger, 6th edition.
Kingsnake.com have a useful listing of Australian Skinks, including some common names which are not found in some books.
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