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Plestiodon elegans (BOULENGER, 1887)

IUCN Red List - Plestiodon elegans - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaScincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Shanghai Elegant Skink
Chinese: 蓝尾石龙子 
SynonymEumeces elegans BOULENGER 1887: 371
Mabouia chinensis — SWINHOE 1863 (fide STEJNEGER 1907)
Eumeces pulchra BOCOURT 1879 (fide STEJNEGER 1907)
Eumeces elegans — BOULENGER 1899: 162
Eumeces elegans — STEJNEGER 1907: 202
Eumeces elegans — STEJNEGER 1926: 45
Eumeces elegans — TAYLOR 1936: 245
Eumeces elegans — ZHAO & ADLER 1993
Eumeces elegans — GRIFFITH, NGO & MURPHY 2000
Plestiodon elegans — SCHMITZ et al. 2004
Eumeces elegans — GORIS & MAEDA 2004
Plestiodon elegans — WANG et al. 2022
Plestodion elegans — YANG et al. 2023 (in error) 
DistributionS China (westward to Yunnan, northward through Sichuan to S Henan, Fujian, Hunan), Vietnam,
Taiwan
Japan (Senkaku group, S Ryukyu islands)

Type locality: China  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: BMNH 54.2.10.1-4, Ningpo, China, purchased H. Cuming; 58.10.19.132-133, Chikiang, China, purchased H. Cuming; 59.12.20.5-6, Formosa, collected by R. Swinhoe; 70.1.14.14-17, Pescadoro I., collected by R. Swinhoe; 74.1.16.72, Shanghai, collected by R. Swinhoe; 74.1.16.74, Shangai, collected R. Swinhoe; 80.2.17.6, Kiukiang Mts, China, collected by C. Maries; 86.12.8.2-5, Snowy Valley, Ningpo, China, presented J.H. Leech. Type series also includes, by bibliographic reference, specimens examined by Hallowell (1860) and identified as Plestiodon pulchrum. The citation by Boulenger of material identified by Günther (1864) as Mabouia chinensis refers to the first eight syntypes listed above. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Taylor 1936: 245


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CommentPlate 29G in ZHAO & ADLER 1993.

Distribution: Map: KURITA & HIKIDA 2014: 188

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
EtymologyThe name elegans (Latin) means tasteful, choice, fine, select or elegant and appears to refer to the color pattern. 
References
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  • Bobrov, V. V. 1995. Checklist and bibliography of lizards of Vietnam. Smithsonian Herp. Inf. Serv. (105): - get paper here
  • Bocourt, M. F. 1879. Etudes sur les reptiles, p. i-xiv, 1-1012. In Recherches Zoologiques pour servir a l'Histoire de Ia Faune de l'Amérique Centrale et du Mexique. Mission Scientifique au Mexique et dans l'Amérique Centrale, Recherches zoologiques. Part 2, sect. 1; In A. Duméril, M. F. Bocourt, and F. Mocquard, (1870-1909). Imprimerie Impériale, Paris [3, Pt. 6], pp. 360–440. - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G. A. 1887. Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Anelytropsidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. London: 575 pp. - get paper here
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