Melanoseps occidentalis (PETERS, 1878)
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Melanoseps occidentalis
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | Melanoseps occidentalis zairensis BRYGOO & ROUX-ESTEVE 1982 Melanoseps occidentalis occidentalis (PETERS 1877) |
| Common Names | E: Western Limbless Skink |
| Synonym | Herpetosaura occidentalis PETERS 1877: 416 Scelotes occidentalis — WERNER 1898 Melanoseps occidentalis — TORNIER 1901: 62 Scelotes schebeni STERNFELD 1910 Scelotes occidentalis — DE WITTE & LAURENT 1942 Scelotes schebeni — DE WITTE & LAURENT 1943 Melanoseps schebeni — BRYGOO & ROUX-ESTEVE 1982 Scelotes schebeni — WELCH 1982 Melanoseps occidentalis — BRYGOO & ROUX-ESTEVE 1982 Melanoseps occidentalis — BROADLEY 1998 Melanoseps occidentalis — WHITING et al. 2003 Melanoseps occidentalis zairensis BRYGOO & ROUX-ESTEVE 1982 Melanoseps occidentalis zairensis BRYGOO 1985 Melanoseps occidentalis zairensis — BROADLEY et al. 2006 |
| Distribution | Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, C/E/S Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Angola, Central African Republic Type locality: “Cameruns (W. Africa)” [= Cameroon], schebeni: Namibia; Type locality: Winduk [= Windhoek] zairensis: C Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: ZMB 9122 Holotype: ZMB 28898, the only known specimen of schebeni, is lost (fide BRYGOO & ROUX-ESTEVE 1982, Bauer 2016) [schebeni] Holotype: MHNG 2072.67; paratypes: MHNG, MNHN [zairensis] |
| Diagnosis | Original description: “Verschieden von H. arenicola durch die abgerundete stumpfe Beschaffenbeit des Rostrale und durch 22 Körper-Schuppenreihen. Jede Schuppe in der Mitte schwarz, wodurch oben zusammenhängende und unten punktirte Längslinien entstehen.” (Peters 1878: 416) Original description (schebeni): “Auge Klein, unteres Lid mit ungeteilter, durchsichtiger Scheibe. Ohröffnung nicht sichtbar. Nasalia in Berührung mit einander und mit dem 1. Labiale. Postnasale auf einen schmalen Ring reduziert. Nur 2 große Supraocularen, 5 Supraciliaren. Schnauze sehr stumpf, gerade abgestutzt. 20 Schuppenreihen (22 im vorderen Drittel des Körpers). Leib etwas länger als der Schwanz. Gliedmaßen fehlen vollständig. Färbung braun, jede Schuppe dunkel gefleckt. Die Flecke sind auf dem Rücken am größten, so daß dieser erheblich dunkler erscheint als die Bauchseite. Gesamtlänge 12 cm, Schwanz 5 cm.” (Sternfeld 1910) Translation of original description (schebeni): “Eye small, lower eyelid with an undivided, transparent disc. Ear opening not visible. Nasals in contact with each other and with the first labial. Postnasal reduced to a narrow ring. Only 2 large supraoculars, 5 supraciliaries. Snout very blunt, straight truncated. 20 scale rows (22 in the front third of the body). Body slightly longer than the tail. Limbs are completely absent. Colouring brown, each scale darkly speckled. The speckles largest on the back, so that this appears significantly darker than the ventral side. Total length 12 cm, tail 5 cm.” (from Bauer 2016) |
| Comment | Limb morphology: limbless; Scelotes schebeni is missing both forelimbs AND hindlimbs (Danny Meirte, pers. comm., 12 Apr 2013). Subspecies: The status of Melanoseps occidentalis zairensis remains unclear. Although it is known from about 20 (type) specimens, there seems hardly any subsequent study of it. Marques et al. 2018 chose to consider it as synonym of M. occidentalis, without justification. Synonymy: following Bauer 2016. Sternfeld 1911 already synonymized schebeni with M. occidentalis, which has been confirmed by Bauer 2016. Distribution: For a map with localities in Equatorial Guinea see SÁNCHEZ-VIALAS et al. 2022. |
| Etymology | The specific name occidentalis (Latin) refers to the western distribution of this species. |
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