It is generally admitted that the some 38 species referred to Ablepharus Lichtenstein, 1823 (Sauria, Scincidae) belong to the same evolutionary level. Smith (1935), followed by Parker (1936), De Witte (1936), Mitchell and Storr (in. litt.) pointed out the “polyphyletic” origin of the “ablepharine” skinks, and Greer (1967) presented arguments on the basis of the skull morphology. The study of nearly all the skinks assigned to the genus Ablepharus is in agreement with the above statements. A tentative new generic arrangement is presented, based on the assumption of several parallel evolutionary series, starting from closely related although different lines, showing convergent morphological features under the action of a similar way of life (burrowing and cryptic). The “ablepharine” skinks assemblage includes different evolutionary levels, which have to be referred to distinct genera. Only bivittatus, pannonicus, deserti and kitaibelii are assigned to Ablepharus Lichtenstein; boutonii belongs to Cryptoblepharus Wiegmann. The African “ablepharine” skinks, together with several other species having a transparent window in the lower lid, are included in Panaspis Cope. The Australian species commonly ascribed to the genus Ablepharus, should be considered as belonging to following generic taxa: 1. Morethia Gray, 1844, including the species lineo-ocellata, butleri, taeniopleura; 2. Pseudemoia Fuhn, 1967, monotypic (spenceri); 3. Cryptoblepharus Wiegmann, 1834, monotypic (boutonii), but the species is polytypic. 4. Notoscincus n. g., with the species ornatus and wotjulum; 5. Menetia Gray, 1844, monotypic (greyi); 6. Species incertae sedis, burnetti (polytypic); 7. Proablepharus n. g., including tenuis (polytypic); 8. Species incertae sedis, with the species davisi and kinghorni; 9. Lerista Bell, 1833, including elegans, distinguenda, lineata, muelleri, timida and all the species assigned to Rhodona and Nodorha (Greer, 1967).