Cophoscincopus durus (COPE, 1862)

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Higher Taxa	Scincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Keeled Water Skink
Synonym	Tiliqua dura COPE 1862: 190 Lygosoma durum — BOULENGER 1887: 304 Cophoscincopus durus — MERTENS 1933 (nom. nov.) Cophoscincopus durus — LOVERIDGE 1941: 117 Cophoscincopus durus — GREER 1974: 29 Cophoscincopus durus — BÖHME, SCHMITZ & ZIEGLER 2000 Cophoscincopus durus — TRAPE, CHIRIO & TRAPE 2012
Distribution	Liberia, Sierra Leone, S Guinea (Conakry), Ivory Coast Type locality: Western Africa.
Reproduction	oviparous
Types	Holotype: USNM 5996
Diagnosis	Diagnosis (genus): Small (snout-vent length 52 mm or less), semi-aquatic African beta skinks with movable lower eyelids, 2 supraoculars in contact with frontal, and very heavy keeling on the body scales; clutch size constant, 2. Lower eyelid scaly and supranasals lacking, although frontonasal may be divided longitudinally to give impression of 2 large supranasals meeting medially (Greer 1974: 31).
Comment	Cophoscincus simulans VAILLANT 1884 has been removed from the synonymy of C. durus by BÖHME et al. (2000). Distribution: not in Ghana fide Trape et al. 2012. Type Species: Tiliqua dura is the type species of the genus Cophoscincopus MERTENS 1934 (a replacement name for Cophoscincus VAILLANT 1884 fide GREER 1974). Originally, Cophoscincus simulans VAILLANT 1884 was the type species of the genus Cophoscincus VAILLANT 1884. For diagnostic features see MITTLEMAN 1952: 8.
References	Böhme, W, Schmitz, A. & T. Ziegler 2000. A review of the West African skink genus Cophoscincopus MERTENS (Reptilia: Scincidae: Lygosominae): Resurrection of C. simulans (VAILLANT, 1884) and description of a new species. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 107 (4): 777-791 - get paper here Böhme, Wolfgang, Mark-Oliver Rödel, Christian Brede & Philipp Wagner 2011. The reptiles (Testudines, Squamata, Crocodylia) of the forested southeast of the Republic Guinea (Guinée forestière), with a country-wide checklist. Bonn zoological Bulletin 60 (1): 35-61 - 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 Branch, W.R. & Rödel, M.-O. 2003. Herpetological survey of the Haute Dodo and Cavally forests, western ivory Coast, Part II: Trapping, results and reptiles. Salamandra 39 (1): 21-38 - get paper here Cope, E.D. 1862. On Lacerta echinata and Tiliqua dura. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 14: 189-191 - get paper here Greer, A.E. 1974. The generic relationships of the scincid lizard genus Leiolopisma and its relatives. Australian Journal of Zoology 31: 1-67. - get paper here Hoogmoed, M.S. 1979. Herpetologische waarnemingen in Ghana [part 1 - introduction]. Lacerta 37 (10-11): 164-168 - get paper here Hoogmoed, M.S. 1980. Herpetologische waarnemingen in Ghana [part 4]. Lacerta 38 (6): 50-53 - get paper here Loveridge, A. 1938. On a collection of reptiles and amphibians from Liberia. Proc. New England Zool. Club 17: 49-74 Loveridge, Arthur 1941. Report on the Smithsonian-Firestone Expedition's collection of reptiles and amphibians from Liberia. Proc. US Natl. Mus. 91 (3128): 113-140 - get paper here Mertens, R. 1933. Die Scinciden-Gattung Cophoscincopus Vaillant. Zool. Anz. 102: 188-190 Mudrack, W. 1985. Ein Beitrag zur Haltung und Zucht des Wasserskinkes Cophoscincopus durus (COPE, 1862). Sauria 7 (1): 29-30 - get paper here Trape, J.F.; Trape, S. & Chirio, L. 2012. Lézards, crocodiles et tortues d'Afrique occidentale et du Sahara. IRD Orstom, 503 pp. - get paper here Vaillant,L. 1885. Note sur une collection de Reptiles rapportée d'Assinie par M. Chaper. Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris (7) 8: 168-171 [1884] - get paper here
External links	IUCN Red List Google images

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