''Sphenomorphus dussumieri'',
commonly known as Dussumier's forest skink and Dussumier's litter skink, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. S ...
, a
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Scincidae. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
.
Geographic range
''S. dussumieri'' is found in the
Western Ghats of India, in the Indian states of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...
[
]
Etymology
The specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''dussumieri'', is in honor of Jean-Jacques Dussumier Jean-Jacques Dussumier (1792–1883) was a French voyager and merchant from Bordeaux. He is known as a collector of zoological species from southern Asia and regions around the Indian Ocean between 1816 and 1840. These collections were later studied ...
, a French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
voyager who collected zoological
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...
specimens in South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
in the early 19th century. It is locally known as "അരണ (arana)".
Description
The head of ''S. dussumieri'' is distinct from the neck, and the snout is short. The tympanum is situated on the surface, not sunk as in other skinks. The body is slender. The dorsal scales
In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales. Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publis ...
are smooth, with fine striations. The limbs are relatively short. The dorsum is bronze brown, with dark spots. There is a light dorso-lateral stripe running from the eye to the side of the body, its inner edge with a dark brown, white spotted streak. There is also a broad stripe on the sides that is edged with white below. The venter is creamy.[ Das I (2002). ''A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of India''. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. . (''Sphenomorphus dussumieri'', p. 115).]
Ecology
''S. dussumieri'' is a diurnal
Diurnal ("daily") may refer to:
General
* Diurnal cycle, any pattern that recurs daily
** Diurnality, the behavior of animals and plants that are active in the daytime
* Diurnal phase shift, a phase shift of electromagnetic signals
* Diurnal tem ...
skink, which inhabits evergreen, moist deciduous, and plantation forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s, such as rubber plantations, in closed as well as open forests, at altitudes of .
References
Further reading
* Annandale N (1905). "Contributions to Oriental Herpetology. Suppl. III. Notes on the Oriental lizards in the Indian Museum, with a list of the species recorded from British India and Ceylon". ''J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal'' (2) 1: 139-151.
* Beddome RH (1870). "Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency". ''Madras Monthly J. Med. Sci.'' 2: 169-176. eprint: 1940. ''J. Soc. Bibliogr. Nat. Sci., London'' 1 (10): 327-334.* Boulenger GA (1887). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III ... Scincidæ''. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (''Lygosoma dussumieri'', pp. 243–244).
*Boulenger GA (1890). ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia.'' London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (''Lygosoma dussumieri'', p. 197).
* Duméril AMC, Bibron G
Gabriel Bibron (20 October 1805 – 27 March 1848) was a French zoologist and herpetologist. He was born in Paris. The son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hire ...
(1839). ''Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome cinquième'' olume 5 Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp. (''Lygosoma dussumierii'', new species, pp. 725–726). (in French).
* Greer AE (1991). "''Lankascincus'', a new genus of scincid lizards from Sri Lanka, with descriptions of three new species". ''Journal of Herpetology'' 25 (1): 59-64.
* Smith MA (1935). ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria.'' London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. (''Lygosoma dussumieri'', pp. 286–287).
*Smith MA (1937). "A review of the genus ''Lygosoma'' (Scincidae, Reptilia) and its allies". ''Rec. Indian Mus.'' 39 (3): 213-234.
* Stoliczka F (1872). "Notes on various new or little-known Indian lizards". ''J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal'' 61 (2): 86-135.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q610758
dussumieri
Reptiles of India
Taxa named by André Marie Constant Duméril
Taxa named by Gabriel Bibron
Reptiles described in 1839