Mabuya nagarjuni

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Sharma's Mabuya

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Sauria
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Mabuya
Species:	M. nagarjuni

Binomial name

Mabuya nagarjuni
Sharma, 1969

Synonyms

Eutropis nagarjuni

Sharma's Mabuya Mabuya nagarjuni is a species of skink. It was described by Sharma (1969) from hills south of Vijaypuri on the right bank of the river Krishna in Andhra Pradesh.

[edit] Description

This species can be distinguished from Mabuya beddomii by the supranasals which are separated by frontonasal (M. beddomii has supranasal in contact with each other), separate prefrontals (M. beddomii has prefrontals in contact with each other), three pairs of nuchals (M. beddomii has single pair), presence of post nasal (M. beddomii lacks it), dorsal scales with 5-7 keels (M. beddomii has 3-5 keels), 16-22 lamellae beneath the fourth toe (M. beddomii has 12-15 lamellae), and oval ear opening twice the size of the lateral scales (M. beddomii has circular ear opening almost the size of the lateral scales). (Srinivasulu et al. 2005)

Sharma (1969) described the colour as dark brown or black with white longitudinal stripes three on the back with the middle vertebral stripe. They become indistinct on the tail. The head scales have brown centres and light brown margins. the legs are dark brown above and the hind libs are sculpted with white above. The underside is white. Some specimens show an orangish-red stripe on either side of the neck that may be sex-specific trait.(Srinivasulu et al. 2005)

[edit] References

Das I. 1991 A new species of Mabuya from Tamil Nadu State, Southern India (Squamata: Scincidae). Journal of Herpetology 25 (3): 342-344.
Srinivasulu, C., Bhargavi Srinivasulu & C.A. N. Rao (2005). Present status of Eutropis nagarjuni (Sharma, 1969) (Reptilia: Scincidae) – An endemic skink from Andhra Pradesh, India. Zoos' Print Jour. 20(5): 1865-1866. pdf

[edit] External links

Srinivasulu, C., Bhargavi Srinivasulu & C.A. N. Rao (2006). Reptilian Fauna of Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Andhra Pradesh. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, 106(3): 97-122.