Serra da Neve lance-skink
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Acontias
Species:
A. mukwando
Binomial name
Acontias mukwando
Marques, Parrinha, Tiutenko, Lopes-Lima, Bauer & Ceríaco, 2023

Acontias mukwando, the Serra da Neve lance-skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae.[1] It is only known to exist in Serra da Neve in the Angolan Namibe province.[2][3] The species was first documented by Mariana P. Marques, Diogo Parrinha, Arthur Tiutenko, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Aaron M. Bauer & Luis M. P. Ceríaco in 2023.

Description

Acontias mukwando is a medium-sized member of the genus Acontias measuring a length of 172.2 mm (6.77 in).[3] The species lacks limbs or ear openings and is distinguished for other member of Acontias by its exposed eyes and 3 chin shields.[3] It has pink body pigmentation with dark dorsal pigmentation and a dark brown band that runs the mid-dorsal region.[3][4] Its midbody scale row numbers between 15 and 18 scales with 172-178 ventral scales.[3]

Habitat

Acontias mukwando inhabits the Serra da Neve inselberg in Namibe province, southwestern Angola.[2][3] It is known to forage in the leaf litter of the Miombo forest which dominates the Serra da Neve inselberg area.[3]

Etymology

Acontias mukwando is named for the noun “mukwando” in honor of the Catchi villagers of Serra da Neve inselberg, who provided assistance to the team that first documented it.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Genus Acontias - taxonomy & distribution / RepFocus". www.repfocus.dk. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  2. 1 2 "Distribution of Acontias mukwando / RepFocus". www.repfocus.dk. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Marques, Mariana P; Parrinha, Diogo; Tiutenko, Arthur; Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Bauer, Aaron M.; Ceríaco, Luis M. P. (2023). "A new species of African legless skink, genus Acontias Cuvier, 1816 "1817" (Squamata: Scincidae) from Serra da Neve inselberg, south-western Angola". African Journal of Herpetology. 72 (2): 145–162. Bibcode:2023AfJH...72..145M. doi:10.1080/21564574.2023.2246487 – via NISC.
  4. ↑ "New Lizard Discovered And It Has No Legs or Ears". a-z-animals.com. Retrieved December 19, 2023.


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