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.
| Serra da Neve lance-skink | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Acontias |
| Species: | A. mukwando
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| Binomial name | |
| Acontias mukwando Marques, Parrinha, Tiutenko, Lopes-Lima, Bauer & Ceríaco, 2023
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Description
editAcontias 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
editAcontias 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
editAcontias 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
edit- ^ "Genus Acontias - taxonomy & distribution / RepFocus". www.repfocus.dk. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ a b "Distribution of Acontias mukwando / RepFocus". www.repfocus.dk. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 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.
- ^ "New Lizard Discovered And It Has No Legs or Ears". a-z-animals.com. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
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