| Rainbow skink | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female (top) and male (below) basking on a granite outcrop in South Africa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Trachylepis |
| Species: | T. margaritifera |
| Binomial name | |
| Trachylepis margaritifera (Peters, 1854) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The rainbow skink (Trachylepis margaritifera) is a species of Afro-Malagasy mabuya or skink in the subfamily Lygosominae.
Mabuya quinquetaeniata margaritifera, formerly a subspecies of Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (the five-lined mabuya, also known as the rainbow skink), was elevated to full species in 1998 (as Trachylepis margaritifera).
T. margaritifera is a medium-sized lizard reaching a length of about 20 centimetres (7.9 in). The coloration of this species is quite variable, depending on the gender and the age. The scales are glossy, with metallic reflections. The basic colour is usually olive-brown or dark brown, sometimes with pearly whitish spots and with three light yellow-orange longitudinal stripes running from the head to the electric blue tail. These stripes may fade and become indistinct in the adults.
The head shows a pointed snout and clearly visible ears holes. Just behind the ear opening, there are some black spots. Legs are dark brown, short and strong, with relatively long toes. The flanks are mainly yellowish and the underside of the body is whitish.
It is found in southern Africa, from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to southern Malawi; isolated populations occur in central to southeastern Tanzania and southern Kenya. [2] [3] It is found in rocky and mountainous regions of these countries.
Eutropis carinata, commonly known as the keeled Indian mabuya, many-keeled grass skink or (ambiguously) "golden skink", is a species of skink found in South Asia.
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.
Rainbow skink may refer to:
The African five-lined skink, or rainbow mabuya, is a north-central African species of skink lizard.
Trachylepis capensis is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southern Africa.
Blue-tailed skink may refer to:
Trachylepis aureopunctata, the gold-spotted mabuya, is a species of skink. It is endemic to Madagascar.
Trachylepis brauni, also known commonly as Braun's mabuya and the Ukinga montane skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is found in Tanzania and Malawi.
Trachylepis punctatissima, commonly called the montane speckled skink or speckled rock skink, is a lizard in the skink family (Scincidae) which is widespread in southern Africa. The common and adaptable species occurs in a variety of habitat types at middle to high altitudes. It was for a time treated as a southern race of the African striped skink, T. striata.
The Uganda five-toed skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan 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 brevicollis, the short-necked skink or Sudan mabuya, is a species of skink found in Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
The two-coloured skink is a species of skink found in Kenya and Tanzania.
Trachylepis dumasi is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Trachylepis hildebrandtii, also known commonly as Hildebrandt's mabuya and Hildebrandt’s skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is indigenous to the Horn of Africa.
Trachylepis hoeschi, also known commonly as Hoesch's mabuya and Hoesch's skink, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Mabuyinae of the family Scincidae. The species is native to southwestern Africa.
The alpine meadow mabuya is a species of skink found in Uganda and Kenya.
The Malagasy mabuya is a species of skink found in Madagascar.
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.
The boulder mabuya is a species of skink found in Madagascar.
