Kaestlea travancorica

Kaestlea travancorica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Kaestlea
Species: K. travancorica
Binomial name
Kaestlea travancorica
(Beddome, 1870)[2]
Synonyms

Mocoa travancorica Beddome,1870
Lygosoma palnicum Boettger,1892
Leiolopisma palnicum (Boettger,1892)
Lygosoma travancoricum palnica (Boettger,1892)
Lygosoma travancoricum (Beddome,1870)
Scincella travancorica (Beddome,1870)

The Travancore ground skink (Kaestlea travancorica) is a species of skink endemic to southern Western Ghats.

Description

A medium-sized (3.8 cm), blue-tailed forest skink.[3] Earlier placed in the genus Scincella, it is now included in the genus Kaestlea.[4] It is diurnal and known to feed on insects on the forest floor.

Distribution

Restricted to the Western Ghats, India. Mainly known from Travancore regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states. Studies conducted in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve show that this species occurs mainly in high-altitude rain forest habitat[5] at elevations between 1,000 and 1,700 msl.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Das, I., Srinivasulu, C. & Srinivasulu, B. (2013). "Kaestlea travancorica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2013: e.T174134A7020778. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T174134A7020778.en.
  2. ↑ Beddome (1870). "Descriptions of some new lizards from the Madras Presidency". Madras Monthly J. Med. Sci. 1: 30–35.
  3. ↑ Das, I (2002). "A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other reptiles of India.". New Holland Publishers (UK)Ltd.
  4. ↑ Eremchenko, V.K.; Das, I. (2004). "Kaestlea: A new Genus of scincid lizards (Scincidae: Lygosominae) from the Western Ghats, southwestern India". Hamadryad. 28 (1-2): 43–50.
  5. ↑ Ishwar, N.M., Chellam, R. and Kumar, A. (2001). "Distribution of forest floor reptilies in the rainforest of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, South India". Current Science. 80 (3): 413–418.

Notes

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