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Scelotes anguinus (BOULENGER, 1887)

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Algoa Dwarf Burrowing Skink, Boulenger's Burrowing Skink 
SynonymHerpetoseps anguinus BOULENGER 1887: 416
Herpetosaura anguinea — TORNIER 1902: 704
Herpetosaura anguina — DE WITTE & LAURENT 1943: 10, 28
Scelotes anguina — GREER 1970
Scelotes anguina — BRANCH & HAAGNER 1996
Scelotes anguineus — WHITING et al. 2003
Scelotes anguineus — BAUER 2016
Scelotes anguinus — RAW 2022 
DistributionRepublic of South Africa (Algoa Basin in E Cape)

Type locality: South Africa, near Port Elizabeth.  
Reproductionovoviviparous 
TypesHolotype: BMNH (presumed, status unclear fide P. Campbell, pers. comm., March 2019). 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 682 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentLimb morphology: This species lost its forelimb entirely and retains only two digits on the hind limb.

Synonymy: Tornier 1902 synonymized Herpetoseps with Herpetosaura PETERS. However, Tornier misspelled anguina (as anguineus) and did not emend that name intentionally. 
EtymologyApparently after Latin anguis = snake, for its snake-like appearance. 
References
  • Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp.
  • 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.; Haagner, G.V. 1996. Life History Notes - Scelotes anguina. African Herp News (25): 38-39 - get paper here
  • Greer, Allen E. 1970. The systematics and evolution of the Subsaharan Africa, Seychelles, and Mauritius Scincine Scincid lizards. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 140 (1): 1-24 - get paper here
  • Raw, Lynn R. G. 2022. Historical and Current Misuse of Gender Agreement in the Names of South African Lizard Species. ZooNova 18: 1-5
  • Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Pietersen, D.W., Weeber, J., Burger, M. & Alexander, G.J. (eds) 2023. Conservation status of the reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. Suricata 10. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria
  • Tornier,G. 1902. Herpetologisch Neues aus Ostafrika. Zool. Anz. 25: 700-704 - get paper here
  • Whiting, A.S.; Aaron M. Bauer & Jack W. Sites, Jr. 2003. Phylogenetic relationships and limb loss in sub-Saharan African scincine lizards (Squamata: Scincidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 29 (3): 582-598 - get paper here
  • Witte, G.F. de & R. LAURENT 1943. Contribution à la systématique des formes dégradées de la famille des Scincidae apparentées au genre Scelotes Fitzinger. Mém. Mus. r. Hist. nat. Belg. (sér.2) 26: 44 pp. - get paper here
 
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