Iberian roller skink

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Iberian roller skink
Iberian roller skink.jpg

Iberian roller skink ( Chalcides bedriagai )

Systematics
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Scincomorpha (Scincoidea)
Family : Skinks (Scincidae)
Subfamily : Scincinae
Genre : Roller skink ( Chalcides )
Type : Iberian roller skink
Scientific name
Chalcides bedriagai
( Boscá , 1880)

The Iberian roller skink or Spanish roller skink ( Chalcides bedriagai ) is a species of reptile from the skink family .

description

This roller skink is up to 12 centimeters long and has short but well-developed legs with five fingers or toes each. The tail is about as long as the head and trunk together. The upper side has a bronze to olive brown color with small, elongated spots. On the sides, these can be formed into more or less interrupted longitudinal strips. The belly side is light gray, the underside of the tail yellowish.

Occurrence

He lives in the mountains of the Iberian Peninsula with sandy soils. Mostly it hides under stones and digs into the ground. He only leaves his hiding place to sunbathe or to hunt insects. The female is viviparous . Bioclimatically, the Walzenskink inhabits the Mediterranean region and only inhabits thermally favored places in the cooler regions of the north.

distribution

Distribution on the Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian roller skink is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, although the north ( Cantabrian Mountains , Asturias , Basque Country ) is not populated. In the west it occurs scattered up to the Atlantic coast ( Islas Cíes ). There are also known populations on various islands in the Mediterranean ( Tabarca , islands in the Mar Menor ).

Danger

Since it is a fairly rare animal that only spreads locally and is tied to certain habitats , any change in its habitats can mean the disappearance of the entire population. The populations near the coast and on islands are particularly affected by human activities.

literature

  • Heinz Schröder: amphibians and reptiles in colors . Otto Maier Verlag, Ravensburg 1973. ISBN 3-473-46116-4

Web links

Commons : Iberian roller skink ( Chalcides bedriagai )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files