Melanoseps longicauda TORNIER, 1900
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Melanoseps longicauda?
Melanoseps longicauda
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Pangani Black Limbless Skink, Longtail Limbless Skink |
| Synonym | Melanoseps ater var. longicauda TORNIER 1900: 602 Melanoseps ater var. longicauda — LOVERIDGE 1923: 963 Scelotes ater longicauda — WITTE & LAURENT 1943: 32 Melanoseps ater longicauda — BRYGOO & ROUX-ESTÈVE 1982: 1170 Melanoseps longicauda — BROADLEY & HOWELL 1991: 14 Melanoseps longicauda — SPAWLS et al. 2001 Melanoseps longicauda — BROADLEY et al. 2006: 107 Melanoseps longicauda — SPAWLS et al. 2018: 172 |
| Distribution | NE Tanzania. Type locality: Masailand and “Karagwe am Pangani” = Lorogwe, Pangani River, Tanzania. |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: ZMB 16900 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: The lectotype, ZMB 16900 (Bauer et al. 2003), is missing from the Berlin collection, so this species is presently known only from Tornier’s brief description (the paralectotype, ZMB 11882, is referable to M. pygmaeus). The diagnostic features are the long tail with a SVL/tail ratio of 1.73 and the distinctive dorsal colour pattern. Tornier recorded 120 ventrals. (Broadley et al. 2006) Unfortunately 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 350 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Limb morphology: limbless. Abundance: Melanoseps ater longicauda is known from only 2 specimens (BROADLEY & HOWELL 1991), and another one reported by BROADLUY 1999: 36. Subspecies: BROADLEY et al. (2006) do not recognize the subspecies matengoensis and misukuensis and synonymize the with ater. Similar species: M. rondoensis. |
| Etymology | Presumably named after the Latin longus (long) plus cauda (tail), referring to the long tail of the species. |
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