Chalcides pentadactylus

Five-Fingered Skink
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Chalcides
Species: C. pentadactylus
Binomial name
Chalcides pentadactylus
(Beddome, 1870)
Chalcides pentadactylus

Chalcides pentadactylus, or Five-Fingered Skink, is a species of skink found in the Western Ghats of India. Females of other species of the genus are viviparous, meaning that they give birth to live young. Almost nothing is known of C. pentadactylus. It is only known from the holotype which is lost [ fide Smith 1935]. Due to the loss of the only known specimen the true identity and origin of this skink, and its correct generic assignment, must await the examination of fresh material (Srinivasulu & Srinivasulu 2013).

Type locality: "Kuddle Poondy, a tidal river near Beypore" (= Kadal Undi, Beypur, 11° 11' N; 75° 49' E, in Kerala State, south-western India), Malabar district.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, March 19, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.