Anepischetosia maccoyi, also known commonly as the highlands forest-skink, highlands forest skink, Maccoy's elf skink, and McCoy's skink, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Eugongylinae of the family Scincidae. The species is the only species in the monotypic genus Anepischetosia, and is endemic to Australia.
Etymology The specific name, maccoyi, is in honor of Irish zoologist Frederick McCoy.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Nannoscincus maccoyi, p. 172).
Taxonomy The generic name, Anepischetosia, was created by Australian herpetologists Richard W. Wells and C. Ross Wellington in 1985 to replace the generic name, Anepischetos, which was preoccupied by a genus of moths. Anepischetosia is in the subfamily Eugongylinae."Anepischetosia ". Dahms Tierleben. https://www.dahmstierleben.de/systematik/Reptilien/Squamata/lacertilia/scincomorpha/scincidae/eugongylinae. (in German).
Geographic distribution Anepischetosia maccoyi is found in the Australian States of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria.
Habitat The preferred natural habitat of Anepischetosia maccoyi is forest.
Behaviour Anepischetosia maccoyi is terrestrial. It shelters under leaf litter and fallen logs.
Reproduction Anepischetosia maccoyi appears to be ovoviviparous. The Reptile Database describes the species as being oviparous. However, Lucas and Frost, in their original description of the species in 1894, wrote, "Young developed within the body of the parent, eight or nine being brought forth in January or February."Lucas AHS, Frost C (1894).
References
Further reading Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. . Lucas AHS, Frost C (1894). "The Lizards indigenous to Victoria". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria [New Series ] 6: 24–92 + Plate II. (Siaphos maccoyi, new species, pp. 85–86 + Plate II, figures 2, 2a). Wells, Richard W.; Wellington, C. Ross (1985). "A Classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia". Australian Journal of Herpetology Supplemental Series (1): 1–61. (Anepischetosia, new genus, p. 23). Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .