Trachylepis mlanjensis (LOVERIDGE, 1953)
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Trachylepis mlanjensis
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Mabuyinae (Mabuyini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Mulanje Skink |
| Synonym | Mabuya bocagii mlanjensis LOVERIDGE 1953: 207 Mabuya gruetzneri mlanjensis — STEVENS 1974: 14 Mabuya striata punctatissimus — BROADLEY 1977: 64 (part.) (not A. SMITH) Mabuya striata punctatissima — PATTERSON 1990: 232 (not A. SMITH) Mabuya mlanjensis — BROADLEY 2000: 103 Euprepis mlanjensis — MAUSFELD et al. 2002 Trachylepis mlanjensis — BAUER 2003 Trachylepis mlanjensis — PIETERSEN et al. 2021 |
| Distribution | S Malawai (Mulanje Mountain; Dedza Mountain on the western side of the rift valley). Type locality: Lichenya Plateau, 6000 feet, Mlanje Mountain, Nyasaland [= Mulanje Mountain, Malawi]. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: MCZ R-50692 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. From inadequately-known bocagii of Angola, with a Congulu specimen of which I have been able to compare it through the courtesy of Dr. H. W. Parker, the differences are minor and may prove of average importance only. M. b. mlanjensis differs from b. bocagit in the centre of the nostril not being anterior to the vertical of the suture between the rostral and first labial, in its anterior loreal usually not being in contact with the first labial, and in the probability that the number of its midbody scale-rows (36-38) average lower than those of bocagi (36-40) which are so frequently 40; the limbs of mlanjensis apparently tend to be shorter than those of Angolan bocagii. In mlanjensis the vertebral line, when present, is noticeably narrower than in the Congulu bocagii. From v. varia, which is the common skink on Mlanje, b. mlanjensis may be distinguished by the absence of a white lateral line, and the presence of more numerous (36-38, instead of 30-34) scales around midbody, besides larger size. In addition there are average differences such as the number of labials anterior to the subocular (5-6 in mlan jensis, 4-5 in varia). The discovery of this montane form makes it probable that M. brauni Tornier, from the Ukinga Mountains at the north end of Lake Nyasa and about 500 miles north of Mlanje, is not a race of varia as I once (1933h, pp. 317-318) suggested, but a race of bocagii Boulenger, of which mlanjensis is the southeastern representative. (Loveridge 1953: 207) |
| Comment | Sympatric with M. striata at the foot of Mulanje Mountain. Synonymy: Removed from synonymy with M. striata punctatissima by BROADLEY 2000. Weinell et al. 2019 found that Trachylepis mlanjensis nests within T. striata |
| Etymology | Named after the type locality. |
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