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Lankascincus deignani (TAYLOR, 1950)

IUCN Red List - Lankascincus deignani - Endangered, EN
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Higher TaxaScincidae, Ristellinae (Ristellini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Deignan Tree Skink 
SynonymSphenomorphus deignani TAYLOR 1950: 497
Lankascincus deignani — GREER 1991
Lankascincus deignani — DAS 1996: 46
Sphenomorphus deignani — DAS 1996: 48
Lankascincus deignani — AUSTIN et al. 2004
Lankascincus greeri BATUWITA & PETHIYAGODA 2007
Lankascincus greeri — BATUWITA 2019: 247
Lankascincus deignani — BATUWITA 2019: 229 
DistributionSri Lanka (forests around Kandy)

Type locality: Mount Gannoruwa (Gangarowa ?), Peradeniya, Kandy District, Ceylon.

greeri: Sri Lanka; Type locality: Kombala-Kottawa Forest Reserve near Hiyaré, Galle (Southern Province), 06º04’N, 80º15’E, 60 m elevation.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: USNM 120326
Holotype: NMSL (= WHT) 6524 (adult male), 52.0 mm SVL, 04 April, 2003, coll. S. Batuwita [greeri] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Distinguished from all other Lankascincus by the following combination of characters: prefrontals in contact; pre- frontal wider than long; frontonasal as large as prefrontals together; frontoparietals two; supraciliaries 9–10; primary temporal one; secondary temporals two, in contact; supra- labials seven; last supralabial subequal to the preceding supralabial; postsupralabials two; paravertebrals 43–48; ventral scales 55–57; transverse scale rows across mid- body 28; subdigital lamellae under fourth digit of pes 19–20; maximum SVL 58.0 mm; body color reddish brown; ventral side yellowish brown; lacking a dorsolateral stripe in male; lacking subocular spot; forelimb length 21.8–25.9% of SVL; and hind-limb length 29.1–34.5% of SVL (Batuwita 2019: 229). 
CommentDistribution: Previous records of L. deignani from Nuwaraeliya and surrounding localities were reidentified as L. sripadensis by Butawita 2019.

Synonymy: Kanishka et al. 2020 synonymized L. greeri with L. deignani. 
EtymologyNamed after Herbert "Bert" Girton Deignan (1906-1968) who worked for the U.S. National Museum (1938-1962) and spent 1928-1932 and 1935-1937 in Thailand teaching English. In between he worked at the Library of Congress (1934-1935). He retired to live in Switzerland. 
References
  • Austin, C.C.; Das, I. & De Silva, A. 2004. Higher-level molecular phylogenetic relationships of the endemic genus Lankascincus from Sri Lanka based on nuclear DNA sequences. Lyriocephalus 5 (1-2): 11-22 [special issue] - get paper here
  • Batuwita, Sudesh 2019. A REVIEW OF THE LIZARDS OF THE ENDEMIC GENUS LANKASCINCUS (REPTILIA: SCINCIDAE: LYGOSOMINAE) FROM SRI LANKA. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 162(3), (8 April 2019) - get paper here
  • Batuwita, Sudesh and Rohan Pethiyagoda 2007. Description of new species of Sri Lankan Litter Skink (Squamata: Scincidae: Lankascincus). Ceylon Journal of Science (Bio. Sci.) 36(2):80-87
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • Botejue, W. Madhava S.; Jayantha Wattavidanage 2012. Herpetofaunal diversity and distribution in Kalugala proposed forest reserve, Western province of Sri Lanka. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 5 (2): 65-80(e38). - get paper here
  • Das, Indraneil & Abhijit Das 2017. A Naturalist’s Guide to the Reptiles of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd., Oxford, 176 pp.
  • Greer A E 1991. Lankascincus, a new genus of scincid lizards from Sri Lanka, with descriptions of three new species. Journal of Herpetology 25 (1): 59-64 - get paper here
  • Karunarathna, D. M. S. S. and A. A. T. Amarasinghe 2012. Reptile diversity in Beraliya Mukalana proposed forest reserve, Galle District - Sri Lanka. Taprobanica 4 (1): 20-26 - get paper here
  • Somaweera, R. & Somaweera, N. 2009. Lizards of Sri Lanka: a colour guide with field keys. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 304 pp.
  • Taylor, Edward H. 1950. Ceylones lizards of the family Scincidae. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 33 (2): 481-518 - get paper here
  • Wickramasinghe, L.J. MENDIS; Rodrigo, R.; Dayawansa, N. & Jayantha, U.L.D. 2007. Two new species of Lankascincus (Squamata: Scincidae) from Sripada Sanctuary (Peak Wilderness), in Sri Lanka. Zootaxa 1612: 1–24 - get paper here
 
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