Dentition of the ground skink, Scincella lateralis (Sauria, Scincidae)

Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the morphology of the toot h crowns, and light microscopy was used to quantify the numbers and sizes o f the teeth occurring on each of the major tooth-hearing bones of the groun d skink, Scincella lateralis. In S. lateualis, monostichous, bicuspid teeth occur on the premaxilla, maxilla, and dentary but not on the pterygoid. No ontogenetic or sexual variation was observed in crown morphology. The size s and numbers of teeth vary with respect to location, with dentary teeth mu ch larger and more numerous than the teeth on the maxillary arcade. Body si ze was more frequently, positively correlated with tooth sizes and numbers than head width. In S. lateralis, a sexual dimorphism in the number of prem axillary teeth is present, and ontogenetic differences in tooth number and size also occur. This study represents the first complete description of th e dentition of a scincid lizard.