Amphiglossus astrolabi

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Amphiglossus astrolabi
Diving Skink (Amphiglossus astrolabi) found by Jean NICOLAS (10313753424) .jpg

Amphiglossus astrolabi

Systematics
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Scincomorpha (Scincoidea)
Family : Skinks (Scincidae)
Subfamily : Scincinae
Genre : Amphiglossus
Type : Amphiglossus astrolabi
Scientific name
Amphiglossus astrolabi
Duméril & Bibron , 1839

Amphiglossus astrolabi is a skink thatis endemic to Madagascar . He is the type species of the genus Amphiglossus .

features

Amphiglossus astrolabi reaches an average head-trunk length of 200 mm. The largest specimens collected had a head-to-body length of 226 mm and a tail length of 304 mm. The front limbs are about 36 mm long, the rear limbs about 52 mm. The muzzle is blunt. The eyes are poorly developed. The lower eyelid is scaled. The front and rear feet each have five very short fingers and toes that are set far apart. The palate is toothless, the jaw teeth are short, straight and slightly compressed. The tongue is smooth at the front and scaly at the back. The top of the body is a solid brown, the underside is light yellow. On the flanks, the brown basic color is broken up by yellow vertical stripes.

distribution

Distribution area

Amphiglossus astrolabi occurs in eastern Madagascar, especially in Analamazoatra , Antsihanaka , Fanovana , Folohy , Ikongo , Ivohibe , Mandena , Mandraka , Masoala , Ranomafana , Sahembendrana , Tsararano and on the island of Nosy Mangabe .

Habitat and way of life

Amphiglossus astrolabi lives on and in rainforest streams. The species is adapted to an aquatic way of life. She can swim and dive very well, which has given her the common name of diving skink . Amphiglossus astrolabi moves slowly and when disturbed it immediately dives and takes shelter next to rocks at the bottom of the streams. It searches for food both in water and on land. The superstitious locals fear the skinks and consider them poisonous.

literature

  • Friedrich Wilhelm Henkel and Wolfgang Schmidt: Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, the Mascarene, the Seychelles, and the Comoro Islands . Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida, 2000. ISBN 978-1575240145 : p. 255.

Web links