| Trachylepis bensonii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Trachylepis |
| Species: | T. bensonii |
| Binomial name | |
| Trachylepis bensonii (W. Peters, 1867) | |
 | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
Benson's mabuya (Trachylepis bensonii) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Western Africa.
The specific name, bensonii, is in honor of Stephen Allen Benson, who was President of Liberia from 1856 to 1864. [3]
T. bensonii is found in Liberia and Sierra Leone. [2]
The preferred natural habitats of T. bensonii are forest, savanna, and rocky areas, at altitudes of 200–1,200 m (660–3,940 ft). [1]
Euprepis is an obsolete genus of skinks in the subfamily Lygosominae. It was named by Wagler in 1830 and frequently used in subsequent years, often misspelled as Euprepes, a misspelling introduced by Wiegmann in 1834. It was then subsumed under the large skink genus Mabuya, until Mausfeld and others resurrected it for a group of mainly African skinks they split from Mabuya. The following year, Bauer argued that this assignment had been in error and that this group should be called Trachylepis instead. Euprepis itself is a junior synonym of Mabuya.
Trachylepis is a skink genus in the subfamily Mabuyinae found mainly in Africa. Its members were formerly included in the "wastebin taxon" Mabuya, and for some time in Euprepis. As defined today, Trachylepis contains the clade of Afro-Malagasy mabuyas. The genus also contains a species from the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, T. atlantica, and may occur in mainland South America with Trachylepis tschudii and Trachylepis maculata, both poorly known and enigmatic. The ancestors of T. atlantica are believed to have rafted across the Atlantic from Africa during the last 9 million years.
Wright's skink, also known commonly as Wright's mabuya, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Seychelles. There are two recognized subspecies.
The Noronha skink is a species of skink from the island of Fernando de Noronha off northeastern Brazil. It is covered with dark and light spots on the upperparts and is usually about 7 to 10 cm in length. The tail is long and muscular, but breaks off easily. Very common throughout Fernando de Noronha, it is an opportunistic feeder, eating both insects and plant material, including nectar from the Erythrina velutina tree, as well as other material ranging from cookie crumbs to eggs of its own species. Introduced predators such as feral cats prey on it and several parasitic worms infect it.
Trachylepis tschudii is an enigmatic skink, purportedly from Peru. First described in 1845 on the basis of a single specimen, it may be the same as the Noronha skink (T. atlantica) from Fernando de Noronha, off northeastern Brazil. T. tschudii represents one of two doubtful records of the otherwise African genus Trachylepis on mainland South America; the other is T. maculata from Guyana.
Trachylepis ferrarai, also known commonly as Ferrara's mabuya, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Somalia.
Trachylepis bayonii, also known commonly as Bayão's skink, Bayon's mabuya, and Bayon's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Africa. There are two subspecies.
Trachylepis rodenburgi, also known commonly as Rodenburg's mabuya, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to West Africa.
Trachylepis boettgeri, commonly known as Boettger's mabuya, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Trachylepis aureogularis, the Guinea mabuya or orange-throated skink, is a species of skink found in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.
Trachylepis bocagii, also known commonly as Bocage's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southern Africa.
Trachylepis boulengeri, also known commonly as Boulenger's mabuya, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is indigenous to southeastern Africa.
Trachylepis buettneri is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Central Africa and West Africa.
Trachylepis dumasi is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Trachylepis gravenhorstii, also known commonly as Gravenhorst's mabuya, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Trachylepis hemmingi, also known commonly as the Somali mabuya, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Somalia.
Trachylepis hoeschi, also known commonly as Hoesch's mabuya and Hoesch's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southwestern Africa.
Trachylepis nancycoutuae, also known commonly as Nancy Coutu's mabuya and Nancy Coutu's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Trachylepis perrotetii, also known commonly as the African red-sided skink, the red-sided skink, and the Teita mabuya, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Africa.
Trachylepis wingati, also known commonly as Wingate's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is indigenous to northeastern Africa.
