Striped canary skink
| Striped canary skink | ||||||||||||
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Striped Canary Island Skink ( Chalcides sexlineatus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chalcides sexlineatus | ||||||||||||
| Steindachner , 1891 |
The striped Canarian skink ( Chalcides sexlineatus ) is a species of lizard from the skink family that occurs on the Canary island of Gran Canaria .
features
The species reaches a head-trunk length up to 9.2 centimeters and a total length up to 15 centimeters, rarely more. The elongated animals appear robust and are slightly flattened dorsoventrally with an oval body cross-section. The head is small and triangular. It goes seamlessly into the body without constriction. The legs are strong and have 5 toes each. The tail is about as long as the head and torso. The pattern and color of Chalcides sexlineatus are extremely variable. The top has a basic color that can vary from black to light brown to greenish. It can be monochrome or have up to 6 light vertical stripes. The area around the chin and often the throat are yellow to orange in color. The color of the abdomen is also very variable and can range from orange-red, orange, intense yellow and pale yellow through pink to light gray, dark gray or black. As a rule, it resembles the back color with light to dark brown or black. An intense cobalt blue color of the tail can be observed in many specimens from the south of Gran Canaria, the valleys of Tirajana and Tejeda and central high altitudes of the island. In the south, animals with copper-brown tails or tails colored in all shades of green can also be spotted.
The tail of the young is always bright green.
Occurrence
The distribution area of the Striped Canary Skink includes the Canary Island Gran Canaria and the offshore island of Roque del Gando to the east . The species can be found from sea level to the highest altitude on the island (1949 m above sea level). It occurs in almost all natural and anthropogenic habitats. The habitat spectrum ranges from the coast to the interior of the island, from humid to very dry locations, from pine forests to almost vegetation-free sandy areas. An important structural element for the striped canary skink are hiding places with numerous crevices, for example piles of stones or stone piles. It often occurs on agricultural land.
Way of life
The species is active all year round in locations that are warm enough. In cooler habitats as well as in higher mountain areas, a hibernation is held that lasts for several months.
When mating with the female, the male clings to one side behind the ear. The male places his body at an angle over the back of the female and mating is carried out on the other side of the body. In August or September the female gives birth to 2 to 5 young. Little is known about the diet of the species in the wild, but it is assumed that it is very similar to that of the Northern Canary Skink ( Chalcides viridanus ). Predators include kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus subsp. Canariensi ), southern gray shrike ( Lanius meridionalis ) and domestic cats. Young skinks are also eaten by Gran Canaria giant lizards ( Gallotia dahlini ).
Systematics
Two subspecies of the striped canary skink are described:
- Chalcides sexlineatus subsp. sexlineatus is the nominate form found in the southwest of Gran Canaria .
- Chalcides sexlineatus subsp. bistriatus can be found in the north and east of the island. The Epithethon bistriatus means two stripes . It refers to the population on which the first description is based, in which the animals have only two light vertical stripes on their backs. However, not all populations of this subspecies have this characteristic.
Danger
The species is common and not endangered.
supporting documents
- Dieter Glandt: Pocket dictionary of amphibians and reptiles in Europe . Quelle & Meyer Verlag, Wiebelsheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-494-01470-8 , pp. 258-260.
Web links
- Chalcides sexlineatus in The Reptile Database
- Chalcides sexlineatus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Jose Antonio Mateo Miras, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2013.