Ablepharus kitaibelii | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Scincidae |
Genus: | Ablepharus |
Species: | A. kitaibelii |
Binomial name | |
Ablepharus kitaibelii (Bibron & Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833) | |
Subspecies | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Ablepharus kitaibelii, commonly known as the European copper skink, European snake-eyed skink, juniper skink, or snake-eyed skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Eastern Europe and Southwestern Asia.
A. kitaibelii is native to Greece (including the Aegean Islands), Romania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Albania, Slovakia, the Caucasus, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and possibly Iraq. The subspecies A. k. fitzingeri is known from Slovakia, Hungary, Greece and the island of Corfu. The subspecies A. k. stepaneki is known from Bulgaria and Romania. Also Macedonia
A small, slender lizard, A. kitaibelii grows up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in total length (including tail). The skin is bronze-coloured, with dark sides. The eyelids are immovable, in contrast to many other skinks.
A. kitaibelii is a shy species, which lives under stones and leaves in dry places, such as south slopes, fields, and meadows. It is active during twilight, and hunts for insects and small snails. It is a typical ground dweller, and dislikes climbing.
Many former subspecies of Ablepharus kitaibelii have been promoted to categorization as species, such as Ablepharus rueppellii and Ablepharus budaki .
The specific name, kitaibelii, is in honor of Hungarian botanist Paul Kitaibel. [3]
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Richard Sternfeld was a German-Jewish herpetologist, who was responsible for describing over forty species of amphibians and reptiles, particularly from Germany's African and Pacific colonies.
The golden-crowned snake is a small species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
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Pedioplanis lineoocellata, known commonly as the common sand lizard, the ocellated sand lizard, and the spotted sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa. There are three recognized subspecies.
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