Vivariums;reptiles;Other Skinks

African striped skink

Description :

This skink is brown or bronze coloured with two yellowish stripes that run lengthwise on either side of the spine. Both sexes grow to a length of 25 cm.[1] Their tails are often missing due to predators.

Range and races :

There are two races, the nominate with an eastern, and wahlbergi with a southwesterly distribution:[2]

-Trachylepis striata striata (Peters, 1844) – Eastern striped skink

Range: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, DRC, Malawi, se Zambia, se Zimbabwe, ne South Africa, Swaziland

-Trachylepis striata wahlbergi (Peters, 1869) – Wahlberg’s striped skink

Range: s Angola, n Namibia, n Botswana, Zambia, w & n Zimbabwe, adjacent Zambezi valley in Mozambique[2]

Former races T. s. punctatissima and T. s. sparsa have been elevated to species level.[2]

Other Skinks :

skinks available in the market as a pet but not too popular ...

1- Trachylepis striataAfrican striped skink ( Mabuya Striata )

Trachylepis striata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The African striped skink (Trachylepsis striata), commonly called the striped skink, is a lizard in the skink family (Scincidae). The species is widespread in East Africa and southern Africa. It is not a close relation to the Australian striped skink, Ctenotus taeniolatus.

T. s. striata in Kruger NP, South Africa

T. s. wahlbergi at Lusaka, Zambia

Scientific classification:

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Family:Scincidae

Subfamily:Lygosominae

Genus:Trachylepis

Species:T. striata

Binomial name:

Trachylepis striata
(Peters, 1844)

Synonyms:

Mabuya striata
Euprepes striata

For the external links , refrences click here to read the full wikipedia article

Other websites :

- reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Trachylepis&species=striata

- www.wildherps.com/species/M.striata.html

- www.mountmorelandconservancy.co.za/

- www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic

2- Trachylepis capensis- Mabuya capensis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trachylepis capensis is a species of skink in the subfamily Lygosominae. It is endemic to Southern Africa.[1] It is often seen in suburban gardens where it tames easily.[2]

Scientific classification:

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Family:Scincidae

Genus:Trachylepis

Species:T. capensis

Binomial name:

Trachylepis capensis
(Gray, 1831)

Synonyms:

Mabuya capensis

Naming:

Named for the Cape of Good Hope, it is commonly known as the Cape skink or Cape three-lined skink, and it has recently been reassigned to the genus Trachylepis (previously it was classed in Mabuya).

Appearance

The lizard is a large (sometimes quite fat) skink, with three stripes running down its back. Its skin is olive-brown to gray, and between the stripes and on its flanks are lots of small dark spots. The belly is greyish white. Occasionally the stripes on the back can be quite pale. Its body is rather elongated and the limbs are short.[2]

Distribution

This lizard is indigenous to South Africa and can be found throughout most of the country. They also occur in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia; a few isolated (probably relict) populations have been found in Zimbabwe.[1][2]

Cape skink

Biology:

It is still common in suburban gardens across South Africa and because of this, the Cape skink is probably the best known lizard in the country. Furthermore, in the presence of humans it gradually becomes domesticated and after some time it can become sufficiently trusting to eat out of one’s hand.[2] Consequently it is becoming increasingly popular as a pet, whether kept in a formal UV-fitted vivarium or allowed to roam free in a garden. Tame individuals have a tendency to become quite overweight. The increasingly dense populations of domestic cats being kept as pets in suburban areas have unfortunately led to the extermination of this little forager from much of its natural range, as these introduced predators will typically kill all the skinks in the immediate area. Its natural predators in the wild include the fiscal shrike and various snakes.

For a home, the Cape skink usually digs itself a small tunnel at the foot of a boulder or tree, but anything that it can hide under is used as a temporary shelter. In its natural habitat it is considerably more shy, though it can often be heard as it scuttles away through the bushes. This species of skink is live-bearing and gives birth to litters of about a dozen babies.[2]

A Cape skink in low-level vegetation

The Cape skink is still seen in suburban gardens.

For the external links , refrences click here to read the full wikipedia article

Geographic range

Species of Lygosoma are primarily found in India, but some occur in nearby regions, such as the Philippines.

Behavior :

The common name, writhing skinks, refers to the way these stubby-legged animals move, snake-like but slower and more awkwardly.

Taxonomy :

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Lygosoma was used as a "wastebin taxon", to which almost every newly described skink was assigned.[2]

Other websites :

- reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Trachylepis&species=capensis

- www.inaturalist.org/taxa/37436-Trachylepis-capensis

- www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=28766

- www.anapsid.org/mabuya.html

- www.inaturalist.org/taxa/37413-Trachylepis

- reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Trachylepis&species=capensis

Videos :

Trachylepis capensis burrow clearance

Business time for the Cape Skink

3- Lygosoma

Lygosoma is a genus of lizards, commonly known as writhing skinks,

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lygosoma is a genus of lizards, commonly known as writhing skinks, which are members of the family Scincidae. Lygosoma is the type genus of the subfamily Lygosominae.

Lygosoma

Lygosoma quadrupes

Scientific classification:

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Family:Scincidae

Subfamily:Lygosominae

Genus:Lygosoma
Hardwicke & Gray, 1828[1]

Type species

Anguis quadrupes
Linnaeus, 1766

Species

About 40, see text

Species :

The following species are recognized.[3][4]

Lygosoma afrum (W. Peters, 1854)
Lygosoma albopunctata (Gray, 1846)
Lygosoma angeli (M.A. Smith, 1937)
Lygosoma anguinum (Theobald, 1868)
Lygosoma ashwamedhi (Sharma, 1969)
Lygosoma bampfyldei Bartlett, 1895 – formerly in Riopa[5]
Lygosoma boehmei Ziegler et al., 2007
Lygosoma bowringii (Günther, 1864)
Lygosoma carinatum Darevsky & Orlova, 1996
Lygosoma corpulentum M.A. Smith, 1921
Lygosoma fernandi (Burton, 1836) — true fire skink
Lygosoma frontoparietale (Taylor, 1962)
Lygosoma goaensis (Sharma, 1976)
Lygosoma grandisonianum (Lanza & Carfi, 1966)
Lygosoma guentheri (W. Peters, 1879)
Lygosoma haroldyoungi (Taylor, 1962) – formerly in Riopa[5]
Lygosoma herberti M.A. Smith, 1916
Lygosoma isodactylum (Günther, 1864)
Lygosoma koratense M.A. Smith, 1917
Lygosoma laeviceps (W. Peters, 1874)
Lygosoma lanceolatum Broadley, 1990
Lygosoma lineata (Gray, 1839)
Lygosoma lineolatum (Stoliczka, 1870)
Lygosoma mabuiiforme (Loveridge, 1935)
Lygosoma mafianum Broadley, 1994
Lygosoma mocquardi Chabanaud, 1917
Lygosoma muelleri (Schlegel, 1837)
Lygosoma opisthorhodum F. Werner, 1910 – formerly in Riopa[5]
Lygosoma paedocarinatum (Lanza & Carfi, 1968)
Lygosoma pembanum Boettger, 1913
Lygosoma popae (Shreve, 1940)
Lygosoma productum Boulenger, 1909
Lygosoma pruthi (Sharma, 1977)
Lygosoma punctata (Gmelin, 1799)
Lygosoma quadrupes (Linnaeus, 1766)
Lygosoma simonettai Lanza, 1979
Lygosoma singha (Taylor, 1950)
Lygosoma smaragdinum (Lesson, 1826)
Lygosoma somalicum (Parker, 1942)
Lygosoma tanae (Loveridge, 1935)
Lygosoma tersum M.A. Smith, 1916
Lygosoma veunsaiensis Geissler, Hartmann & Neang, 2012
Lygosoma vinciguerrae Parker, 1932
Lygosoma vosmaeri (Gray 1839)

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Lygosoma.

Vietnamese Lygosoma corpulentum (Snakeskink)

For the external links , refrences click here to read the full wikipedia article

Other and Recommended websites :

- To Know more about the species with the photos please clink on this link :

reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search?genus=lygosoma&submit=Search

Videos :

Lygosoma

courtesy to : www.cyberlizard.org.uk/skinks_lygosoma.htm#lashwahmedhi

Introduction :

The genus Lygosoma is distributed across subsaharan African (mainly the east), India and SE Asia. The common name of "Writhing Skinks" arises from their behaviour if seized. In many ways they are typical skinks, with smooth shiny bodies, small eyes and pointed snouts, and living in sand, soil or leaf litter.

Cogger gives some of the characteristics of the genus as follows: postorbital bone present; supranasal scales present; subequal preanal scales; moveable, scaly lower eyelid; closed Meckelian groove.

The exact nature and relationships of the genus Lygosoma are still under debate, with a few species being variously assigned to Lygosoma, Riopa or Mochlus. We have followed here the scheme followed by the TIGR database, courtesy of the J Craig Venter Institute. This scheme places the Fire Skink (formerly Lygosoma fernandi) in the genus Mochlus but retains Lygosoma bowringii (sometimes referred to the genus Riopa).

In the herpetocultural hobby Lygosoma, like many skink genera, is very underrepresented, especially since the Fire Skink has been assigned to Mochlus instead. Rogner (Echsen/Lizards Vol 2) gives care details for Riopa koratense, which is here considered a Lygosoma species.

Some popular species of Lygosoma :

- Lygosoma lineata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lygosoma lineata, the lined writhing skink, is a species of writhing skink. It is known from India (the northern Western Ghats), Bangladesh and Myanmar (= Burma). This skink grows to about 6 cm in length. The body colouration is golden and each scale has a black dot forming longitudinal stripes on the body. It is known to occur from Gujarat to north of Karnataka. In Mumbai this skink has been observed in the Sanjay Gandhi national park and Aarey milk colony. It is often found under rocks, loose soil associated with termite mounds and ant hills. It is crepuscular. A captive individual accepted termites, mosquito, house flies, ant eggs for about 45 days and was released. One individual regurgitated a Typhlina when caught.[citation needed]

Scientific classification:

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Suborder:Sauria

Family:Scincidae

Genus:Lygosoma

Species:L. lineata

Binomial name:

Lygosoma lineata
Gray, 1839

References :

Gray,J.E. 1839 Catalogue of the slender-tongued saurians, with descriptions of many new genera and species. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (1) 2: 331-337 (287-293)
Naik Y M; Vinod K R 1994 Record of a rare skink Lygosoma lineata (Gray, 1839) from Kevadia, Gujarat. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 91 (2): 324-325.
narasimmarajan, k. and subhasis mahato 2013. first record of the Lygosoma lineata (Grey 1839)from melghat tiger reserve, maharashtra. Reptile Rap. 15. 9-10.

- Korat supple skink

The Korat supple skink or Koraten writhing skink (Lygosoma koratense) is a species of skink in the Scincidae family. It is endemic to Thailand.[1][2]

It can live in many different environments, including montane evergreen rainforests and low limestone hills, and also intensively cultivated and degraded areas.[1]

Korat supple skink

Conservation status

Scientific classification

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Family:Scincidae

Genus:Lygosoma

Species:L. koratense

Binomial name

Lygosoma koratense
Smith, 1917