Riopa vosmaerii

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Riopa vosmaerii
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Scinciformata
Infraorder: Scincomorpha
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Riopa
Species:
R. vosmaeri
Binomial name
Riopa vosmaeri
(Gray, 1839)
Synonyms [2] [3]

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

Contents

Etymology

The specific name, vosmaeri, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Arnout Vosmaer (1720–1799). [4]

Geographic range and habitat

R. vosmaerii is found in India. [1] [3] Originally it was known only from the holotype. A second specimen was discovered in 2009 in an open scrub jungle in rocky habitat near Jaggayapet, Andhra Pradesh, some 170 years after the collection of the holotype. [1] [5]

Description

R. vosmaerii resembles L. lineata . However, L. vosmaerii has five digits on each front foot, where R. lineata has only four. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Srinivasulu C, Srinivasulu B (2013). "Lygosoma vosmaeri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013 e.T194122A2301386. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T194122A2301386.en . Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. Gray JE (1839). "Catalogue of the Slender-tongued Saurians, with Descriptions of many new Genera and Species". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., [First Series ] 2: 287-293, 331-337. (Hagria vosmaerii, new species, p. 333).
  3. 1 2 Lygosoma vosmaeri at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 25 January 2015.
  4. 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 vosmaeri, p. 276).
  5. Seetharamaraju M, Sreekar R, Srinivasulu C, Srinivasulu B, Kaur H, Venkateshwarlu P (2009). "Rediscovery of Vosmer's Writhing Skink Lygosoma vosmaerii (Gray, 1839) (Reptilia: Scincidae) with a note on its taxonomy". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 1 (12): 624–626. doi: 10.11609/JoTT.o2160.624-6 .
  6. Smith MA (1935).

Further reading