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Ablepharus

Ablepharus is a genus of skinks that contains the common snake-eyed skinks.[1] Both their scientific and common names refer to the fact that their eyelids have fused to a translucent capsule; as in snakes, they thus are physically incapable of blinking.[2] They are small lizards and prefer to live in the leaf litter of dry fields and hills.[3] Their scales give them a very shiny, bronze appearance with a characteristically dark stripe down the sides of their bodies. They prey on small insects and other small mollusks.[4]

Characteristics

Appearance

The scales on all Ablepharus species are shiny and bronze in appearance. Also, a very characteristic bronze stripe runs the length of the dorsal surface of the body. They have short, weak front legs, which contribute to their moving in a serpentine-like manner. In general, females are longer and weigh more than their male counterparts. Ablepharus species have thick tails relative to their body sizes and lengths.[4] Fully mature Ablepharus species can reach a total length (including tail) of up to 15 cm (5.9 in). On average, both males and females reach a total length of up to about 13 cm (5.1 in).[5]

Mannerisms and habitat

As a whole, Ablepharus skinks are generally shy creatures. They tend to bask in the sunlight during the daytime and become more active as dusk and darkness approach.[5] They make their homes in rocky areas with leaf litter and little soil.[6]

Distribution

The geographic range of the common snake-eyed skink spans from southern European countries to northern African countries; also, some species are native to southeast Asia.[5] While most of the species in the genus prefer remaining low to the ground and in drier environments, some species may be found in damper habitats up to 2,000 m above sea level.[4]

Diet

Analysis of the stomach contents of certain Ablepharus species has led to the conclusion that common snake-eyed skinks are typically generalist predators.[6] They mainly feed on small arthropods, mollusks, and small snails.[4]

Lifecycle

In captivity, common snake-eyed skinks are known to survive up to three and a half years; in the wild, where they are preyed upon, they live about two and a half years.[4] Upon reaching reproductive maturity, the female snake-eyed skink lays between two and four eggs at a time; these eggs will then take at least 9 weeks to hatch. Hatchlings typically measure around 3.5 cm long. About two years are needed for the hatchlings to reach reproductive maturity.[4]

Species

There are 19 species in the genus Ablepharus which are recognized as being valid:[1]

Found in China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan
Found in Azerbaijan, Turkey, south-eastern and central Armenia, Iran, and Turkmenistan
Typically found in thorny shrubbery, grasslands, and rocky slopes[7]
Found in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus
Typically inhabits leaf litter, woodlands, shrubbery, and forests in humid areas[8]
Found in Syria, Turkey, and Armenia
Typically, they are found hiding under leaf litter and small stones in open areas with little shrubbery or forestation. Some may also be found on some of the gentler slopes on some mountain ranges.[9]
Found in Tajikistan, India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan[10]
Found in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan
Generally observed in desert lands and dry slopes with several different types of angiosperms around 2,000 m above sea level[11]
Found in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan
Found in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Turkmenistan
Found in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan
Found in southern Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary, Eastern Croatia, Albania, Greece, southern Romania, Macedonia, and Turkey
Inhabits arid regions containing meadows, scrubland, and woodland clearings, as well as hilly areas[12]
Found in Tibet (China), North India, western Nepal, and northern Pakistan.
Found in western Afghanistan[13]
Found in Nepal.
Found in Nepal.
Found in the United Arab Emirates, eastern Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Afghanistan, Caucasus, northwestern India, southwestern Tajikistan, southern Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and western Azerbaijan[14]
Found in central and northern Israel, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, southern Lebanon, western and northern Jordan, and possible reported sightings in Syria and Jordan
Inhabits more heavily forested areas with dense vegetation, prefer humid areas, especially the oases in Egypt[15]
Found in Bangladesh (Rangpur), Bhutan, China (Tibet), India (Darjeeling, Sikkim) and Nepal.
Found in India and Pakistan.

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

References

  1. ^ a b Ablepharus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 23 December 2013.
  2. ^ at the Canadian Journal of Zoology
  3. ^ Ablepharus kitaibelii at the IUCN Red List
  4. ^ a b c d e f Snake-eyed Skink 2014-12-14 at the Wayback Machine at the Wildlife Archipelago 2014-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b c European Copper Skink at the INaturalist
  6. ^ a b Ablepharus Microhabitat at the Springer Link
  7. ^ Ablepharus bivittatus at the IUCN Redlist
  8. ^ Ablepharus budaki at the IUCN Redlist
  9. ^ Ablepharus chernovi at the IUCN Redlist
  10. ^ Ablepharus darvazi 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine at the Study Room 2015-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Ablepharus desert at the IUCN Redlist
  12. ^ European copper skink at the IUCN Redlist
  13. ^ Ablepharus lindbergi at the Reptile Database
  14. ^ Ablepharus pannonicus at the Reptile Database
  15. ^ Ablepharus rueppellii at the Reptile Database

Further reading

  • Lichtenstein H (1823). Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der Königl. Universität zu Berlin nebst Beschreibung vieler bisher unbekannter Arten von Säugethieren, Vögeln, Amphibien und Fischen. Berlin: T. Trautwein. x + 118 pp. + one plate. (Ablepharus, new genus, p. 103). (in German and Latin).

ablepharus, genus, skinks, that, contains, common, snake, eyed, skinks, both, their, scientific, common, names, refer, fact, that, their, eyelids, have, fused, translucent, capsule, snakes, they, thus, physically, incapable, blinking, they, small, lizards, pre. Ablepharus is a genus of skinks that contains the common snake eyed skinks 1 Both their scientific and common names refer to the fact that their eyelids have fused to a translucent capsule as in snakes they thus are physically incapable of blinking 2 They are small lizards and prefer to live in the leaf litter of dry fields and hills 3 Their scales give them a very shiny bronze appearance with a characteristically dark stripe down the sides of their bodies They prey on small insects and other small mollusks 4 AblepharusEuropean snake eyed skink Ablepharus kitaibeliiScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataFamily ScincidaeSubfamily EugongylinaeGenus AblepharusLichtenstein 1823SpeciesAblepharus alaicus Ablepharus anatolicus Ablepharus bivittatus Ablepharus budaki Ablepharus chernovi Ablepharus darvazi Ablepharus desertiAblepharus eremchenkoiAblepharus grayanus Ablepharus himalayanus Ablepharus kitaibelii Ablepharus ladacensis Ablepharus lindbergi Ablepharus mahabharatus Ablepharus nepalensis Ablepharus pannonicus Ablepharus rueppellii Ablepharus sikimmensisAblepharus tragbulensis Contents 1 Characteristics 1 1 Appearance 1 2 Mannerisms and habitat 1 3 Distribution 1 4 Diet 1 5 Lifecycle 2 Species 3 References 4 Further readingCharacteristics EditAppearance Edit The scales on all Ablepharus species are shiny and bronze in appearance Also a very characteristic bronze stripe runs the length of the dorsal surface of the body They have short weak front legs which contribute to their moving in a serpentine like manner In general females are longer and weigh more than their male counterparts Ablepharus species have thick tails relative to their body sizes and lengths 4 Fully mature Ablepharus species can reach a total length including tail of up to 15 cm 5 9 in On average both males and females reach a total length of up to about 13 cm 5 1 in 5 Mannerisms and habitat Edit As a whole Ablepharus skinks are generally shy creatures They tend to bask in the sunlight during the daytime and become more active as dusk and darkness approach 5 They make their homes in rocky areas with leaf litter and little soil 6 Distribution Edit The geographic range of the common snake eyed skink spans from southern European countries to northern African countries also some species are native to southeast Asia 5 While most of the species in the genus prefer remaining low to the ground and in drier environments some species may be found in damper habitats up to 2 000 m above sea level 4 Diet Edit Analysis of the stomach contents of certain Ablepharus species has led to the conclusion that common snake eyed skinks are typically generalist predators 6 They mainly feed on small arthropods mollusks and small snails 4 Lifecycle Edit In captivity common snake eyed skinks are known to survive up to three and a half years in the wild where they are preyed upon they live about two and a half years 4 Upon reaching reproductive maturity the female snake eyed skink lays between two and four eggs at a time these eggs will then take at least 9 weeks to hatch Hatchlings typically measure around 3 5 cm long About two years are needed for the hatchlings to reach reproductive maturity 4 Species EditThere are 19 species in the genus Ablepharus which are recognized as being valid 1 A alaicus Elpatjevsky 1901 Found in China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Tajikistan and KazakhstanA bivittatus Menetries 1832 twin striped skinkFound in Azerbaijan Turkey south eastern and central Armenia Iran and Turkmenistan Typically found in thorny shrubbery grasslands and rocky slopes 7 A budaki Gocmen Kumlutas amp Tosunoglu 1996 Budak s snake eyed skinkFound in Turkey Syria Lebanon and Cyprus Typically inhabits leaf litter woodlands shrubbery and forests in humid areas 8 A chernovi Darevsky 1953 Chernov s skinkFound in Syria Turkey and Armenia Typically they are found hiding under leaf litter and small stones in open areas with little shrubbery or forestation Some may also be found on some of the gentler slopes on some mountain ranges 9 A darvazi Eremchenko amp Panfilov 1990 Darvaz Range skinkFound in Tajikistan India Afghanistan and Pakistan 10 A deserti Strauch 1868 desert lidless skinkFound in Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Generally observed in desert lands and dry slopes with several different types of angiosperms around 2 000 m above sea level 11 A eremchenkoi Panfilov 1999 Found in Kyrgyzstan and KazakhstanA grayanus Stoliczka 1872 minor snake eyed skinkFound in Pakistan India Nepal and TurkmenistanA himalayanus Gunther 1864 Found in Kyrgyzstan and KazakhstanA kitaibelii Bibron amp Bory de Saint Vincent 1833 European snake eyed skinkFound in southern Slovakia Serbia Hungary Eastern Croatia Albania Greece southern Romania Macedonia and Turkey Inhabits arid regions containing meadows scrubland and woodland clearings as well as hilly areas 12 A ladacensis Gunther 1864 Found in Tibet China North India western Nepal and northern Pakistan A lindbergi Wettstein 1960 Lindberg s snake eyed skink sometimes A bivittatus lindbergi Found in western Afghanistan 13 A mahabharatus Eremchenko Shah amp Panfilov 1998Found in Nepal A nepalensis Eremchenko amp Helfenberger 1998Found in Nepal A pannonicus Fitzinger 1824 Asian snake eyed skinkFound in the United Arab Emirates eastern Georgia Iraq Iran Oman Pakistan Syria Jordan Afghanistan Caucasus northwestern India southwestern Tajikistan southern Turkmenistan Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan and western Azerbaijan 14 A rueppellii Gray 1839 Ruppell s snake eyed skinkFound in central and northern Israel the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt southern Lebanon western and northern Jordan and possible reported sightings in Syria and Jordan Inhabits more heavily forested areas with dense vegetation prefer humid areas especially the oases in Egypt 15 A sikimmensis Blyth 1854 lt Found in Bangladesh Rangpur Bhutan China Tibet India Darjeeling Sikkim and Nepal A tragbulensis Alcock 1898 lt Found in India and Pakistan Nota bene A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Ablepharus References Edit a b Ablepharus at the Reptarium cz Reptile Database Accessed 23 December 2013 Orbital Lubrication Hypothesis at the Canadian Journal of Zoology Ablepharus kitaibelii at the IUCN Red List a b c d e f Snake eyed Skink Archived 2014 12 14 at the Wayback Machine at the Wildlife Archipelago Archived 2014 12 14 at the Wayback Machine a b c European Copper Skink at the INaturalist a b Ablepharus Microhabitat at the Springer Link Ablepharus bivittatus at the IUCN Redlist Ablepharus budaki at the IUCN Redlist Ablepharus chernovi at the IUCN Redlist Ablepharus darvazi Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine at the Study Room Archived 2015 02 01 at the Wayback Machine Ablepharus desert at the IUCN Redlist European copper skink at the IUCN Redlist Ablepharus lindbergi at the Reptile Database Ablepharus pannonicus at the Reptile Database Ablepharus rueppellii at the Reptile DatabaseFurther reading EditLichtenstein H 1823 Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der Konigl Universitat zu Berlin nebst Beschreibung vieler bisher unbekannter Arten von Saugethieren Vogeln Amphibien und Fischen Berlin T Trautwein x 118 pp one plate Ablepharus new genus p 103 in German and Latin Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ablepharus amp oldid 1082360011, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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