Lankascincus deignani
| Lankascincus deignani | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Lankascincus |
| Species: | L. deignani
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lankascincus deignani (Taylor, 1950)
| |
Lankascincus deignani, commonly known as Deignan's Lanka skink, is a species of skink endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.
It is named for the American ornithologist Herbert Girton Deignan,[1] being originally named Sphenomorphus deignani by Kansas University's Edward H. Taylor, based on a specimen collected by Deignan from Gannoruwa Mountain on November 12, 1944.[2]
Habitat & Distribution
Deignan's Lanka skink is confined to the midhills, submontane, and montane forests between 600 to 1,700 m (2,000 to 5,600 ft) of elevation.
Description
L. deignani is a rather large and robust Lanka skink.
Midbody scales rows 24-28. Lamellae under fourth toe counts 16-20.
Dorsum olive brown. Thick dark lateral stripe, edged above by a brownish yellow stripe, and below by 3-4 gray stripes extending from edge of orbit to tail-tip. Venter cream white or pale pink. Black spots on the upper jaw.
Ecology & Diet
Found in moist leaf litter, under stones and logs in forests.
Diet comprises insects.
Reproduction
Typically 2 eggs laid per one time.
References
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Lankascincus deignani, p. 68).
- ^ Moonesinghe, Vinod. "The birth of the CIA". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 16 August 2012.
Further reading
- Taylor EH (1950). "Ceylonese Lizards of the Family Scincidae". Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 33 (13): 481-518. (Sphenomorphus deignani, new species, pp. 497–500, Figure 3).