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Ablepharus himalayanus (GÜNTHER, 1864)

IUCN Red List - Ablepharus himalayanus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaScincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Himalaya Ground Skink 
SynonymEumeces himalayanus GÜNTHER 1864: 86
Euprepes blythi STEINDACHNER 1869
Mocoa himalayanus — STOLICZKA 1872
Mocoa himalayana — BLANFORD 1875: 19
Lygosoma himalayana — BOULENGER 1887
Lygosoma himalayanum —ZUGMAYER 1909: 488
Leiolopisma himalayanum — SCHMIDT 1926: 168
Lygosoma himalayanum — HORA 1927: 4
Leiolopisma himalayanum — SMITH 1935
Leiolopisma himalayanum — SWAN & LEVITON 1962: 111
Scincella himalayanum — MINTON 1966
Scincella himalayana — GREER 1974: 7
Scincella ladacensis himalayana — OUBOTER 1986: 21
Scincella ladacensis himalayana —NANHOE & OUBOTER 1987
Asymblepharus himalayanus — EREMCHENKO et al. 1998
Scincella himalayana — KHAN 2002 (pers. comm.)
Scincella himalayana — SHEA & GREER 2002: 156
Asymblepharus (Asymblepharus) himalayanus — EREMCHENKO 2003
Asymblepharus himalayanus — SINDACO & JEREMČENKO 2008
Scincella himalayanus — MURTHY 2010
Asymblepharus himalayanus — WENG et al. 2021
Ablepharus himalayanus — MIRZA et al. 2022
Scincella himalayana — ALI et al. 2025
Ablepharus himalayanus — BRAGIN et al. 2024 
DistributionN Pakistan (Chitral, Hazara), India (W Himalaya: Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh), W Nepal, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, China

Type locality: Kashmir, Garhval, Simla, Himalayas.  
Reproduction 
TypesSyntypes: BMNH 1946.8.16.24; 1946.6.17.62; 1946.8.19.71 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A robust Scincella. Limbs strong, but somewhat shorter than in S. l. ladacensis. Transparent disc large. Ciliars from normal to thickened. In most specimens (64%) the frontal is in contact with the first three supraoculars. A medium number of body scales. Dorsum usually bronze- brown, spotted with black, sometimes with white spots as well (Ouboter 1986: 21)


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CommentSimilar species: Scincella sikimmensis, A. ladacensis (Ouboter 1986 says there is clinal variation among them).

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species.

Distribution: for a map of localities see Bragin et al. 2024: 357 (Fig. 1). 
References
  • Ali, G., Minhas, R. A., Ali, U., Rashied, S., & Khalid, S. 2025. Diversity and Distribution of Lizards (Reptilia: Sauria) in District Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Pakistan) Pakistan J. Zool., pp 1-8 - get paper here
  • Bhattarai S., Gurung A., Lamichhane BR., Regmi R., Dhungana M., Kumpakha B. and Subedi N. 2020. Amphibians and Reptiles of Chure Range, Nepal. President Chure Terai-Madhesh Conservation Development Board and National Trust for Nature Conservation, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal
  • Blanford,W.T. 1878. "Reptilia and Amphibia" in Scientific Results of the Second Yarkand Mission. Calcutta, Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. 4to, p. 1-26, 2 pis.
  • Borkin, Leo J.; Spartak N. Litvinchuk, Daniel A. Melnikov & Dmitriy V. Skorinov 2018. Altitudinal distribution of skinks of the genus Asymblepharus in the Western Himalaya, India (Reptilia: Sauria: Scincidae). In: Hartmann, Barclay & Weipert: Biodiversität und Naturausstattung im Himalaya VI. - Erfurt 2018: 163-167 - get paper here
  • Boruah, B., Das, A., Hussain, S. A., & Johnson, J. A. 2020. Assessment of Amphibian and Reptilian Diversity along Ganga River. Wildlife Institute of India - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G. A. 1887. Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Scincidae, Anelytropsidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. London: 575 pp. - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A., Annandale, N., Wall, F. & Regan, C.T. 1907. Reports on a collection of batrachia, reptiles and fish from Nepal and the western Himalayas. Lacertilia. Records of the Indian Museum 1:149—155 - get paper here
  • Bragin, A. M., Decemson, H., Lalremsanga, H. T., Mirza, Z. A., & Poyarkov, N. A. 2025. A new species of Himalayan skink of the genus Ablepharus (Squamata: Scincidae). SALAMANDRA, 61(4), 373-394
  • Bragin, A. M., Litvinchuk, S. N., Borkin, L. J., Melnikov, D. A., Skorinov, D. V., Jablonski, D., ... & Poyarkov, N. A. 2024. Hidden on the Roof of the World: Mitochondrial Data Reveals Exceptional Genetic Diversity of Himalayan Ablepharine Skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae). Russian Journal of Herpetology, 31(6), 351-368 - get paper here
  • Eremchenko, V. K 2003. Generic and specific redefinition and redescription of the North-Vietnam skink (Scincella melanosticta (Boulenger, 1887). Izvestiya Vuzov (= Proceedings of Universitities and Institutes), Bishkek, (1-2): 20-28
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