Mochlus sundevallii

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Mochlus sundevallii
Sundevall's Writhing Skink (Mochlus sundevallii subsp. sundevallii).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Mochlus
Species:
M. sundevallii
Binomial name
Mochlus sundevallii
(A. Smith, 1849)
Synonyms [2] [3]
  • Eumeces (Riopa) sundevallii
    A. Smith, 1849
  • Eumeces afer
    W. Peters, 1854
  • Lygosoma sundevalli
    Calabresi, 1915
  • Riopa sundevalli
    M.A. Smith, 1937
  • Mochlus sundevalli
    Mittleman, 1952
  • Mochlus sundevallii
    Freitas et al., 2019

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.

Contents

Etymology

The specific name, sundevallii, is in honor of Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall. [4]

Geographic range

M. sundevallii is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. [1] [2] The Reptile Database also lists Central African Republic, Sudan, and possibly South Sudan. [2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of M. sundevallii are shrubland, savanna, and forest, at altitudes from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). [1]

Description

M. sundevallii usually has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in), but may grow to almost 9 cm (3.5 in) SVL. Dorsally, it is grayish or light brown, with dark brown speckling. Ventrally, it is uniformly cream-colored, except for the underside of the tail, which may have speckling. [5]

Reproduction

M. sundevallii is oviparous. [2]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Spawls S (2017) [amended version of 2010 assessment]. "Mochlus sundevallii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T178641A110249898. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mochlus sundevallii at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 22 September 2019.
  3. Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Lygosoma sundevallii, pp. 307–308).
  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. (Mochlus sundevallii, p. 258).
  5. Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN   0-88359-042-5. (Lygosoma sundevallii, p. 150 + Plate 49).