Lankascincus fallax (PETERS, 1860)
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Lankascincus fallax
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Ristellinae (Ristellini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Peters' Tree Skink |
| Synonym | Lygosoma fallax PETERS 1860: 184 Eumeces tabrobanenesis GÜNTHER 1864 (part., fide SMITH 1935) Lygosoma megalops ANNANDALE 1906: 190 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) fallax — DERANIYAGALA 1931 Lygosoma fallax — SMITH 1935: 288 Lygosoma megalops — SMITH 1935: 289 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) fallax — SMITH 1937: 220 Sphenomorphus rufogulus TAYLOR 1950 (fide GREER 1991) Sphenomorphus megalops — TAYLOR 1950: 497 Sphenomorphus megalops — DERANIYAGALA 1953: 70 Sphenomorphus fallax — TAYLOR 1953 Sphenomorphus megalops — TAYLOR 1953 Lankascincus fallax — GREER 1991 Lankascincus deraniyagalae GREER 1991 Sphenomorphus megalops — DAS 1996: 48 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — DAS 1996: 48 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — DE SILVA 1996 Lankascincus fallax — AUSTIN et al. 2004 Lankascincus deraniyagalae — AUSTIN et al. 2004 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — RODRIGOI et al. 2006 Lankascincus fallax — ZIESMANN et al. 2007 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — ZIESMANN et al. 2007 Sphenomorphus megalops — SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009 Lankascincus dorsicatenatus — SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009: 225 (fig 261) Lankascincus gansi — SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009: 229 (fig. 263) Lankascincus deraniyagalae — DAS & DAS 2017 Lankascincus fallax — BATUWITA 2019 Lankascincus megalops — BATUWITA 2019: 223 Lankascincus fallax — AMARASINGHE et la. 2022 |
| Distribution | Sri Lanka Type locality: Ratnapura, Trincomali, Ceylon deraniyagalae: Sri Lanka (central hills including sub montane area, and the Galle Fort area in the coastal plane); Type locality: Punduloya, Ceylon megalops: Sri Lanka; Type locality: Pitawala, near Kitulgala (Sabaragamuwa Province), 06°59’N, 80°27’E, 800 m elevation (neotype locality). |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Syntypes: ZMB 3762, ZMB 64361, NMW 16630:1-9, see Bauer et al. (2003). The syntypes were considered lost or formerly in NMSL); the neotype, NMSL (WHT) 6545, designated by Batuwita 2019: 223 is invalid fide Amarasinghe et al. 2022; from Puttalam and Kithulgala, Sri Lanka (see Batuwita & Pethiyagoda, 2007). Apparently the neotype had not been deposited in NMSL by May 2021 (Thasun Amarasinghe, pers. comm., 23 Sep 2020 and 3 May 2021). Paratypes: NMSL Holotype: FMNH 120229 [Sphenomorphus rufogulus] Holotype: BMNH 95.7.23.28C; Paratypes: BMNH 95.7.23.28B, D-E, same data as holotype. MCZ 39837-39, Dimbulla, Queensland Estate. SMF 15460, Pt. de Galle; other specimens: ZMH [deraniyagalae] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Compared to other lygosomine skinks, the skinks of this genus share the following combination of derived character states: size small (maximum SVL, 58 mm); nuchals undifferentiated; subocular scale row complete and non-interdigitating with supralabials; external ear opening reduced, approximately three times size of narial opening; postmental contacts first infralabial only; third pair of chin scales separated from infralabial row; outer preanals overlap inner; scales perfectly smooth; subdigital lamellae with postaxial groove basally; premaxillary teeth >11; palatal rami of pterygoids slightly expanded posteromedially; fat bodies absent; clutch size constant, two or one, depending on species (GREER 1991). |
| Comment | Synonymy: BATUWITA 2019 synonymized Lankascincus deraniyagalae GREER 1991 with L. fallax. Amarasinghe et al. 2022 synonymized Lygosoma megalops with L. fallax. Type Species: Lygosoma fallax PETERS 1860 is the type species of the genus Lankascincus GREER 1991. For a general description of the species in the taxon see Taylor (1950) and Deraniyagala (1953), and for some general morphometrics see Table 1 in Greer 1991. Kanishka et al. 2020 provide a comparison of most Lankascincus species in their Tables 4 and 5. Key: Kanishka et al. 2020: 116 provide a key to the species of Lankascincus. Species groups: L. gansi group: L. gansi sensu lato; L. taylori group: L. taylori, L. sripadensis; L. dorsicatenatus group: L. dorsicatenatus, L. megalops; L. deignani group: L. deignani and L. greeri; L. fallax, L. taprobanensis, and L. merrill. Phylogenetics: for a phylogenetic analysis of the position of Lankascincus see Ghosh et al. 2023. |
| Etymology | A Latin adjective meaning ‘deceptive’ or ‘fallacious’ in the neutral nominative, with unclear justification. The genus is named after Sri Lanka. |
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