Fire skink

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Fire skink
Riopa fernandi.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Mochlus
Species:
M. f. o. R. fernandi
Binomial name
Mochlus fernandi or Riopa fernandi
(Burton, 1836)
Synonyms [2]
  • Tiliqua fernandi
    Burton, 1836
  • Lygosoma fernandi
    Boulenger
  • Lepidothyris fernandi
    Cope, 1892
  • Lygosoma fernandi
    Bocage, 1895
  • Riopa fernandi
    Loveridge, 1936
  • Mochlus fernandi
    Mittleman, 1952
  • Lepidothyris fernandi
    Wagner et al., 2009
  • Mochlus fernandi
    Freitas et al., 2019

The fire skink (Mochlus fernandi or Riopa fernandi), also known commonly as Fernand's skink, the Togo fire skink, and the true fire skink, is a fairly large skink, a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is known for its bright and vivid coloration. Native to tropical forests in West and Central Africa, the fire skink lives fifteen to twenty years. This species is a diurnal lizard that burrows and hides. It is relatively shy and reclusive, but may become tame in captivity.

Contents

Etymology

The specific name, fernandi, refers to the island formerly known as Fernando Po, [3] which has been called Bioko since 1979. It is known in the Yoruba language, spoken in Western Africa, as Oloronto.[ citation needed ]

Taxonomy

Historically, the fire skink has been placed in several different genera and was until recently placed in Riopa together with several skinks from southeast Asia. While these are superficially similar to the African fire skink, they are closer to some other Asian skinks, resulting in their move to Mochlus . The fire skink is not closely related to other skinks and belongs to the genus Mochlus. [4] However, a review of the taxonomy of the fire skink did reveal that it, as traditionally defined, actually consists of three separate species. This essentially limits true M. fernandi to tropical West Africa and westernmost Central Africa, while population in Central and East Africa are M. hinkeli and M. striatus . [5]

Distribution

Mochlus fernandi occurs in the humid forest zone of southern West and Central Africa, from Guinea and Sierra Leone to Gabon [1] [5] and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [1]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies: [2]

Nota bene : A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Mochlus.

Description

The fire skink is a fairly large species of skink, reaching up to 37 cm (15 in) in total length (including tail). [2] The most notable aspect of the fire skink's appearance is its vivid, bright colors. Smooth, gold scales adorn the fire skink's back, while red and black bars set against a silver background line its sides. The fire skink does not display obvious sexual dimorphism, which makes it difficult to sex. Males are, in general, bulkier than females with a slightly flatter head and wider jaws. [6]

Reproduction

The fire skink is oviparous. An adult female will generally lay a clutch of five to nine eggs after mating. Fire skink eggs take forty to fifty days to hatch when incubated at a temperature of 85 °F (29 °C).[ citation needed ]

Diet

M. fernandi has a large appetite, and it is mainly insectivorous. [7] Insects such as crickets, and larvae such as mealworms, are used for feeding captive specimens. [6]

In captivity

The fire skink is kept as a pet. Many specimens available for sale are wild-caught, but captive-bred skinks are available. The fire skink requires a larger tank with plenty of horizontal space, as well as some vertical space for its occasional tendency to climb. A 40 gallon (150 liter) aquarium is suitable for one adult. The fire skink is not social and should be kept alone. [6] It also requires a loose substrate for burrowing. The environment should be moist and humid, with plenty of ground cover to create hiding places. One end of the tank should be warmed with a lamp for basking. Live insects are a proper diet, and some keepers provide an occasional pinkie mouse. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skink</span> Family of reptiles

Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Skinks are characterized by their smaller legs in comparison to typical lizards and are found in different habitats except arctic and subarctic regions.

<i>Lygosoma</i> Genus of lizards

Lygosoma is a genus of lizards, commonly known as supple skinks or writhing skinks, which are members of the family Scincidae. Lygosoma is the type genus of the subfamily Lygosominae. The common name, writhing skinks, refers to the way these stubby-legged animals move, snake-like but more slowly and more awkwardly.

<i>Mochlus</i> Genus of lizards

Mochlus is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-tongued skink</span> Genus of lizards

Blue-tongued skinks comprise the Australasian genus Tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues or blueys in Australia. As suggested by these common names, a prominent characteristic of the genus is a large blue tongue that can be bared as bluff-warning to potential enemies. The type of predator/threat that is near will determine the intensity of colour present in the tongue. In addition, their blue tongue will produce a response in the prey which will in turn diminish the attack. The tongue can also deform itself and produce a thick mucus in order to catch prey. They are relatively shy in comparison with other lizards, and also significantly slower due to their shorter legs.

Subdoluseps pruthi, known commonly as Pruthi's skink or Pruthi's supple skink, is a species of diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous, lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the southern part of the Eastern Ghats in South India. The species was first described based on the type specimen from Chitteri hills in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. Further surveys reveal the presence of similar-looking skinks in nearby hill ranges. Though described in 1977, the holotype was collected in 1929, and yet very little is known or has been published about this species.

Vosmer's writhing skink is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded supple skink</span> Species of lizard

The banded supple skink, also known as Harold's writhing skink or Harold Young's supple skink, is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink</span> Species of lizard

The Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink or pygmy bluetongue is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species was previously thought to be extinct and only rediscovered in 1992. Known locations of the species extend from Kapunda in the Light River valley, about 77 kilometres (48 mi) north east of Adelaide, northwards to Peterborough, about 254 kilometres (158 mi) north of Adelaide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lygosominae</span> Subfamily of lizards

Lygosominae is the largest subfamily of skinks in the family Scincidae. The subfamily can be divided into a number of genus groups. If the rarely used taxonomic rank of infrafamily is employed, the genus groups would be designated as such, but such a move would require a formal description according to the ICZN standards.

<i>Lipinia pulchella</i> Species of lizard

Lipinia pulchella, known commonly as the yellow-striped slender tree skink or beautiful lipinia, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.

Lygosoma boehmei is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Vietnam.

Angel's writhing skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia.

Mochlus hinkeli, also known as Hinkel's red-sided skink or Hinkel's red-flanked skink, is a species of skink. It is found in eastern Central Africa and East Africa, in the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Kenya, and northern Angola and Zambia.

Mochlus simonettai, also known as Simonetta's writhing skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Somalia.

Mochlus striatus is a species of skink. It is endemic to Central Africa and found in Gabon, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic. It inhabits rainforest areas, swamps, and coastal forests.

<i>Mochlus sundevallii</i> Species of lizard

Mochlus sundevallii, also known commonly as Peters' eyelid skink, Peters' writhing skink, and Sundevall's writhing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mochlus tanae, also known commonly as Loveridge's writhing skink or the Tana River writhing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to East Africa.

Mochlus vinciguerrae, also known commonly as Vinciguerra's writhing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is indigenous to East Africa and the Horn of Africa.

Eremiascincus antoniorum is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Timor in Indonesia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wagner, P.; Segniagbeto, G.; Rödel, M.-O. (2021). "Mochlus fernandi ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T13152763A13152770. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T13152763A13152770.en . Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Mochlus fernandi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 26 March 2022.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Lygosoma fernandi, p. 89).
  4. Freitas, Elyse S.; Datta-Roy, Aniruddha; Karanth, Praveen; Grismer, L. Lee; Siler, Cameron D. (2019). "Multilocus phylogeny and a new classification for African, Asian and Indian supple and writhing skinks (Scincidae: Lygosominae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 186 (4): 1067–1096. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz001.
  5. 1 2 Wagner, P [in German]; Böhme, W [in German]; Pauwels, OSG [in French] & Schmitz, A [in French] (2009). "A review of the African red-flanked skinks of the Lygosoma fernandi (BURTON, 1836) species group (Squamata: Scincidae) and the role of climate change in their speciation". Zootaxa. 2050 (1): 1–30. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2050.1.1.
  6. 1 2 3 4 The African fire skink. Reptiles Magazine.
  7. "African Fire Skink". Reptile Range. Retrieved 9 August 2022.

Further reading