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Chilka spotted skink | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Scincidae |
Genus: | Barkudia |
Species: | B. insularis |
Binomial name | |
Barkudia insularis Annandale, 1917 | |
Barkudia insularis, commonly known as the Madras spotted skink, is a critically endangered limbless skink which was described in 1917 by Nelson Annandale and rediscovered in the wild in 2003. Little is known about the species but it was previously believed to be found only in the mangrove habitats near Barkuda Island in Chilka Lake, Odisha, India. [2] Later observations in adjoining parts of Odisha indicate a larger range within the state. [3] The lizard looks like a large earthworm and lives in the subsoil and probably feeds on small arthropods.
The holotype was found in loose earth near the roots of a banyan tree of Badakuda Island of Chilka lake in 1917. Only four reports of the species have been made since its description, all within Odisha: observations in 1917 and 2003 at Barkuda Island in Chilka Lake, a 1979 observation in Nandankanan Zoological Park, and a 2022 observation made near the vicinity of Buguda. The 2022 observation marked the first photograph taken of a live individual of the species. [3]
Barkudia (Annandale, Rec. Ind. Mus. xiii, 1917 p. 20 - type species insularis) is characterised by the palatine bones not meeting on the mid-line of the palate, which is toothless; nostril between the nasal and the rostral in an emargination of the latter; supranasals present; pre-frontals and frontoparietals absent; body elongated; no limbs;
Barkudia insularis has the snout depressed, obtusely pointed, projecting strongly beyond the labial margin; rostral large, emarginate laterally to receive the nasal shield; supranasals large, in contact with one another and with the first labial; fronto-nasal broader than long, larger than the frontal; interparietal much larger than the frontal; parietals narrow, obliquely placed, in contact with one another behind it; 3 supraoculars, the first entering the supraciliary margin, the first two in contact with the frontal; 1 large supraciliary in the angle formed by the 3 suboculars; nasal shield comparatively large, the nostril at its anterior extremity; 1 large loreal; a preocular; lower eyelid composed of 2 or 3 opaque scales; upper eyelid vestigial; 4 supralabials, the third below the eye; ear-opening minute; a singly azygous postmental; body elongate with 140 ventral scales between the post-mental and pre-anal plates; 20 smooth scales round the mid body. Tip of the tail blunt and not much narrower than the base of the tail.
Light brown above, each dorsal scale with a central dot; altogether there form 12 or 14 longitudinal lines down the back and along the tail; lower parts whitish; top of head clouded with brown. The type was dug from loose earth at the root of a banyan tree. A second was seen in the same locality by Frederic Henry Gravely in the rainy season of 1919. It burrowed rapidly into the ground. [4]
Barkudia is a little-known genus of skinks endemic to India. These lizards are thought to be semi-fossorial, and living in coastal areas of the east coast of India. Almost nothing is known about the natural history of this genus, except for classical taxonomic texts.
Ristella is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. Member species are commonly known as cat skinks because of their retractile claws. This genus can be instantly identified by the presence of only four fingers in forelimbs in all the species. All the members look more or less similar, and are drab dark brown to blackish in colouration, with paler undersides. This poorly known group of lizards is diurnal, insectivorous, terrestrial to semi-fossorial in habits. They inhabit deep leaf-litter and grasslands in montane forests and rainforests.
Lycodon aulicus, commonly known as the Indian wolf snake or common wolf snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Early naturalists have suggested its resemblance to the venomous common krait as an instance of Batesian mimicry.
The Indian golden gecko or Beddome's golden gecko is a species of gecko endemic to the Eastern Ghats of India. It was rediscovered from the hills near present-day Tirupati. The rediscovery was after over 100 years since its description.
Hemidactylus maculatus, also known as the spotted leaf-toed gecko or giant spotted gecko, is a species of large gecko found in the Western Ghats of India and in parts of Sri Lanka.
Hemidactylus giganteus, also known as the giant leaf-toed gecko, the giant southern tree gecko, or the giant gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to India.
The reticulate leaf-toed gecko is a species of terrestrial, nocturnal, insectivorous gecko found in rocky areas of South India. It takes refuge under stones on ground during day time and emerges out at night for its activities.
Ophisops jerdonii, commonly known as Jerdon's cabrita, Jerdon's snake-eye, and the Punjab snake-eyed lacerta, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to South Asia.
Ophisops leschenaultii, commonly called Leschenault's snake-eye, Leschenault’s lacerta, or Leschenault's cabrita, is a species of lacertid lizard endemic to India and eastern Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, this lizard is called Pandura katussa in Sinhala. In some parts of the country, it is also called Heeraluwa or sikanala, which is more common name for all skink-like reptiles.
Ophisops microlepis, the small-scaled lacerta, is a species of lizards found in parts of India.
The Haly's tree skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Sri Lanka. Earlier thought to be found also in the Western Ghats, taxonomic studies have shown D. haliana to be a Sri Lankan endemic, differentiated from the Indian D. subcaeruleum. D. haliana is the only arboreal skink in Sri Lanka.
The big-eared lipinia is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India.
The white-spotted supple skink is a species of diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous skink found in parts of tropical Asia. This species was first described by John Edward Gray based on type specimen collected by T. C. Jerdon from Madras, in the Coromandel Coast of South India.
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.
Eutropis beddomei, commonly known as Beddome's mabuya or Beddome's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to India and Sri Lanka.
Blanford's mabuya ( is a species of skink found in peninsular India.
Eutropis multifasciata, commonly known as the East Indian brown mabuya, many-lined sun skink, many-striped skink, common sun skink or (ambiguously) as golden skink, is a species of skink that inhabits an extensive range from Inda and southern China to southern Indonesia.
Eutropis rugifera, variously known as Nicobar Island skink or rough-scaled sun skink, is a species of skink from southeastern Asia.
Ophiomorus tridactylus, commonly known as the three-toed snake skink, is a species of skink endemic to sandy desert areas of South Asia. It is also called the Indian sand-swimmer for its habit of moving just under the sand.
Sphenomorphus indicus is a species of skink.
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