Riopa punctata, also known as the common dotted garden skink, common snake skink, punctate supple skink, or spotted supple skink is a species of skink found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Young skinks of this species have a distinctive red tail, but this colour is lost in adults. The red tail is replaced by small spots and these spots coalesce to form continuous lines as the individual ages. The dots are present on the head and extends to the snout.
Distance between the end of snout and the fore-limb about 2 to 2/3 of the distance between axilla and groin; the snout is obtuse; lower eyelid has an undivided semitransparent disc; supranasals entire and are in contact with one another behind the rostral ; frontal longer than the frontoparietals and interparietal together; a pair of nuchals, rarely absent ; an enlarged temporal scale borders the outer margin of the parietal ; ear-opening about half as large as the eye-opening, with one or two minute lobules anteriorly ; 7 supralabials. the fifth below the middle of the eye, longer than the adjacent labials body covered with smooth subequal scales, 24 or 20, rarely 28, round the body ; 62 to 76 down the middle of the hack ; marginal preanals slightly enlarged. The adpressed limbs fail to meet by nearly twice the length of the fore-limb ; digits long, fourth toe distinctly longer than the third; 11 to 14 keeled lamellae under the fourth toe. Tail thick at the base, a little longer than the head and body. Brown above and on the side. Each scale with a dark basal spot. In the young the spots are joined into 4 or 6 longitudinal lines down the back. A yellowish dorsolateral streak beginning on the canthus rostralis strongly marked in the young. Lower surfaces yellowish-white, uniform, or each scale with a black central dot; tail reddish in the young.[1]
Adult in BNHS Conservation Education Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai. Sanjay Gandhi National Park.Same adult in BNHS Conservation Education Centre
Distributionedit
Found in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka, mostly in hilly regions such as the Yelagiris, Nilgiris, Sivagiris, Shevaroy Hills, Nilambur, Madurai, Cuddapah, Salem, Belgaum, Godavari districts. Chaibassa, Bilaspur, Rewa, Allahabad, Hazara, Meerut, Subathu (Simla).[1]
Taxonomic historyedit
When Carl Linnaeus first described the species Lacerta punctata in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, he based his description on material from two different species. In 2003, a lectotype was chosen to stabilise the nomenclature, separating the Asian species now called Lygosoma punctata from the African species which had previously been known by that name, but which must now be referred to as Mabuya homalocephala.[2]
Notesedit
^ abSmith, M. A. 1941. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.
^Aaron M. Bauer (2003). "On the identity of Lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758, the type species of the genus Euprepis Wagler 1830, and the generic assignment of Afro-Malagasy skinks". African Journal of Herpetology. 52 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1080/21564574.2003.9635472.
Referencesedit
Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.
Taylor, Edward H. 1950 Ceylonese lizards of the family Scincidae. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 33 (2): 481-518
April 13, 2024
riopa, punctata, also, known, common, dotted, garden, skink, common, snake, skink, punctate, supple, skink, spotted, supple, skink, species, skink, found, bangladesh, india, nepal, pakistan, vietnam, lanka, juvenile, scientific, classificationdomain, eukaryota. Riopa punctata also known as the common dotted garden skink common snake skink punctate supple skink or spotted supple skink is a species of skink found in Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan Vietnam and Sri Lanka Riopa punctatajuvenile Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataFamily ScincidaeGenus RiopaSpecies R punctataBinomial nameRiopa punctata Linnaeus 1758 SynonymsRiopa punctata Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Taxonomic history 4 Notes 5 ReferencesDescription editYoung skinks of this species have a distinctive red tail but this colour is lost in adults The red tail is replaced by small spots and these spots coalesce to form continuous lines as the individual ages The dots are present on the head and extends to the snout Distance between the end of snout and the fore limb about 2 to 2 3 of the distance between axilla and groin the snout is obtuse lower eyelid has an undivided semitransparent disc supranasals entire and are in contact with one another behind the rostral frontal longer than the frontoparietals and interparietal together a pair of nuchals rarely absent an enlarged temporal scale borders the outer margin of the parietal ear opening about half as large as the eye opening with one or two minute lobules anteriorly 7 supralabials the fifth below the middle of the eye longer than the adjacent labials body covered with smooth subequal scales 24 or 20 rarely 28 round the body 62 to 76 down the middle of the hack marginal preanals slightly enlarged The adpressed limbs fail to meet by nearly twice the length of the fore limb digits long fourth toe distinctly longer than the third 11 to 14 keeled lamellae under the fourth toe Tail thick at the base a little longer than the head and body Brown above and on the side Each scale with a dark basal spot In the young the spots are joined into 4 or 6 longitudinal lines down the back A yellowish dorsolateral streak beginning on the canthus rostralis strongly marked in the young Lower surfaces yellowish white uniform or each scale with a black central dot tail reddish in the young 1 nbsp Adult in BNHS Conservation Education Centre Goregaon Mumbai Sanjay Gandhi National Park nbsp Same adult in BNHS Conservation Education CentreDistribution editFound in Bangladesh Nepal Pakistan Vietnam India and Sri Lanka mostly in hilly regions such as the Yelagiris Nilgiris Sivagiris Shevaroy Hills Nilambur Madurai Cuddapah Salem Belgaum Godavari districts Chaibassa Bilaspur Rewa Allahabad Hazara Meerut Subathu Simla 1 Taxonomic history editWhen Carl Linnaeus first described the species Lacerta punctata in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae he based his description on material from two different species In 2003 a lectotype was chosen to stabilise the nomenclature separating the Asian species now called Lygosoma punctata from the African species which had previously been known by that name but which must now be referred to as Mabuya homalocephala 2 Notes edit a b Smith M A 1941 Fauna of British India Reptilia and Batrachia Aaron M Bauer 2003 On the identity of Lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758 the type species of the genus Euprepis Wagler 1830 and the generic assignment of Afro Malagasy skinks African Journal of Herpetology 52 1 1 7 doi 10 1080 21564574 2003 9635472 References editBoulenger George A 1890 The Fauna of British India Including Ceylon and Burma Reptilia and Batrachia Taylor amp Francis London xviii 541 pp Taylor Edward H 1950 Ceylonese lizards of the family Scincidae University of Kansas Science Bulletin 33 2 481 518 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Riopa punctata amp oldid 1147949962, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
