Eumeces schneideri

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Schneider's Skink

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Eumeces
Species: E. schneideri
Binomial name
Eumeces schneideri
Daudin, 1802

Schneider's Skink (Eumeces schneideri) is a species of skink found in central and west Asia and north Africa. It is named after the German zoologist, Johann Gottlob Schneider.

Contents

[edit] Description

Head moderate; snout short, obtuse. Nasal rather large, usually divided, in contact with the two anterior upper labials ; no postnasal ; 5 supraoculars, the three anterior m contact with the frontal; parietals entirely separated by the interparietal; 4 or 5 pairs of nuchals; ear-opening rather large, with 4 or 5 long pointed lobules anteriorly; 2 azygos postmentals. 22 to 28 scales round the middle of the body, perfectly smooth, the laterals smallest, those of the two median dorsal series very broad and larger than the ventrals. The length of the hind limb is contained 2.5 to 3 times in the length from snout to vent; when pressed against the body the limbs just meet or fail to meet. A series of transversely enlarged subcaudals. Olive-grey or brownish above, uniform or with irregular golden-yellow spots or longitudinal streaks; a yellowish lateral streak, extending from below the eye to the hind limb, is constant; lower surfaces yellowish white. From snout to vent it measures 6.5 inches, not including a tail length of eight inches.

[edit] Geographic distribution

E Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sinai, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, W Syria, Lebanon;Jordan, Iran (Kavir desert), Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Transcaucasia, Russia (Dagestan), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,;E Georgia, S Armenia, Azerbaijan, Asia Minor,

Afghanistan, Pakistan, NW India
  • Race princeps: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Caucasus
  • Race zarudnyi: SE Iranian Plateau in Kerman, Baluchistan and Sistan Provinces, Iran; Helmand Basin and southern desert regions of Afghanistan; Baluchistan and Mekran Coast of Pakistan. Type locality: Bazman, Iran (restricted by Taylor , 1935).

[edit] References

  • Caputo V. Odierna G. Aprea G. Capriglione T. 1993 Eumeces algeriensis - a full species of the Eumeces schneiderii group (Scincidae) - karyological and morphological evidence. Amphibia-Reptilia 14 (2): 187-193
  • Göçmen, Bayram; Asaf Senol and Ahmet Mermer 2002 A new record of Schneider's Skink, Eumeces schneideri Daudin, 1802 (Sauria: Scincidae) from Cyprus. Zoology of the Middle East 27: 19-22
  • Griffith, H., A. Ngo & R. W. Murphy 2000 A cladistic evaluation of the cosmopolitan genus Eumeces Wiegmann (Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae). Russ. J. Herpetol. 7 (1): 1-16
  • Mertens, Robert 1920 Über die geographischen Formen von Eumeces schneideri Daudin. Senckenbergiana 2 (6): 176-179
  • Mertens, Robert 1924 Dritte Mitteilung über die Rassen der Glattechse Eumeces schneiderii. Senckenbergiana 27: 53-62 (1946?)
  • Mertens, Robert 1924 Herpetologische Mitteilungen: V. Zweiter Beitrag zur Kenntnis der geographischen Formen von Eumeces schneiderii Daudin. Senckenbergiana 6: 182-184
  • Taylor, E. H. 1936 A taxonomic study of the cosmopolitan lizards of the genus Eumeces with an account of the distribution and relationship of its species. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 23 (14): 1-643 [1935]

[edit] External links

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