Fojia bumui GREER & SIMON, 1982
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Fojia bumui
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Fojia Skink |
| Synonym | Fojia bumui GREER & SIMON 1982 Fojia bumui — MYS 1988: 138 |
| Distribution | New Guinea (Morobe Province), elevation 75-650 m Type locality: Moikisung area, Huon Peninsula, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, Elevation: 550 m (147°30'E, 6°34'S). |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: PNGM R23263 (formerly 15950) (given as PNGNM) (Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery). Collected by Martin P. Simon, 10 April 1978. Paratypes. AMNH 92369, Gurakor, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, H. M. van Deusen, 8 May 1959, 650 m, 146°38'E, 6°45'S. Australian Museum (AM) R 70000, same data as for holotype except collected on 15 September 1976; R 97073-97084, same data as for holotype; R 97085, Sipoma village (90 km SSE of Lae), Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, Martin P. Simon, 2 December 1976, 75 m, 147°10'E, 7°40'S. British Museum 1981.1-6, same data as for holotype except collected on 11 April 1978. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology 175806- (Natural History) 175810, same data as for holotype; 175811-175812, same data as for holotype except collected on 11 April 1978. Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery (PNGNM) 15946-15949, 15951-15953, same data as for holotype; 15954-15956, same data as for holotype except collected on 11 April 1978. University of Papua New Guinea 5701-5702, same data as holotype except collected by J. Menzies and without date of collection. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Fojia differs from all the species in this group in the following derived character states: mature males with extensive patches of yellow sub- dermal glands on the chin, abdomen, femoral area and underside of the base of tail; scales on the lateral and dorso- lateral areas of neck and body tubercu- lar and contrasting sharply with the more normal sized middorsal and ven- tral scales; all dorsal scales covered with minute granules, each large middorsal scale with a granule-crested ridge con- centric to posterior edge of scale; basal half of digits very small. Ecologically, Fojia differs from its nearest relatives in being closely associated with small, rocky streams and, behaviorally, it dif- fers in sleeping in vegetation. The ventral glands of adult males and the juxtaposition of the normal sized middorsal scales with the granular lat- eral scales will instantly distinguish Fojia from all other skinks except Tribolonotus. Fojia differs from Tribolonotus in having, in males, glandular patches on the chin and undersides of thighs and tail base as well as the abdomen, and in having a typical instead of a highly fused complement of head scales. |
| Comment | Type species: Fojia bumui GREER & SIMON 1982 is the type species of the genus Fojia GREER & SIMON 1982. |
| Etymology | Named after the local name of the species, meaning 'stream dwelling.' The genus name is from the lingua franca of the area. Foji is the local name for skinks. |
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