Pseudoacontias is genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae.
| Pseudoacontias | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Subfamily: | Scincinae |
| Genus: | Pseudoacontias Bocage, 1889 |
| Type species | |
| Pseudoacontias madagascariensis | |
Geographic range edit
The genus Pseudoacontias is endemic to Madagascar.[2]
Description edit
All species of Pseudoacontias are large, fossorial skinks, measuring at least 200 mm (7.9 in) in snout–vent length. They lack limbs or have greatly reduced limbs.[3][4]
Species edit
The genus contains the following species:[2]
- Pseudoacontias angelorum Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1995
- Pseudoacontias madagascariensis Bocage, 1889 – giant Madagascar skink
- Pseudoacontias menamainty Andreone & Greer, 2002
- Pseudoacontias unicolor Sakata & Hikida, 2003
Etymology edit
The specific name, angelorum (genitive, masculine, plural), is in honor of twin brothers Angelien and Angeluc Razafimanantsoa who are Madagascan naturalists.[5]
References edit
- ^ Pseudoacontias madagascariensis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 29 April 2014.
- ^ a b Pseudoacontias at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 29 April 2014.
- ^ Sakata S, Hikida T (2003). "A new fossorial scincine lizard of the genus Pseudoacontias (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from Nosy Be, Madagascar". Amphibia-Reptilia. 24: 57–64. doi:10.1163/156853803763806948.
- ^ Andreone F, Greer AE [in Italian] (2002). "Malagasy scincid lizards: Descriptions of nine new species, with notes on the morphology, reproduction and taxonomy of some previously described species (Reptilia, Squamata: Scincidae)". Journal of Zoology. 258 (2): 139–1622. doi:10.1017/S0952836902001280.
- ^ 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. (Pseudoacontias angelorum, p. 9).
Further reading edit
- Bocage JVB (1889). "Mélanges erpétologiques. I.—Sur un Scincoidien nouveau de Madagascar ". Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes, Academia Real das Sciencias de Lisboa, Segunda Série 1: 125–126. (Pseudoacontias, new genus, p. 125; P. madagascariensis, new species, pp. 125–126). (in French).
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