Scincella gigas XU, DENG, QI, MA, ZHANG, CAI, NGUYEN, POYARKOV & PENG, 2026
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Scincella gigas?
Scincella gigas
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Giant Ground Skink” Chinese: 巨滑蜥” (Pinyin: jù huá xī) |
| Synonym | Scincella gigas XU, DENG, QI, MA, ZHANG, CAI, NGUYEN, POYARKOV & PENG in XU et al. 2026: 1051 |
| Distribution | China (Yunnan) Type locality: Fengyi Town, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China (25.645°N, 100.396°E; elevation 2,790 m a.s.l.) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: QHU R2026003 (Field No. LFR 2026046), adult female, collected by J.D. Deng and H.Q. Wang on 30 May 2026. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Scincella gigas sp. nov. represents the largest known member of the genus Scincella, with the adult female holotype attaining an SVL of 125 mm and TL exceeding 316 mm. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) exceptionally large body size, with the adult female holotype attaining an SVL of 125 mm; (2) three prefrontal scales; (3) six supraciliaries; (4) seven supralabials, separated from the eye by a row of small scales; (5) six infralabials; (6) tympanum deeply recessed and lacking lobules, with the tympanum diameter exceeding that of the palpebral disc (TD/ PDD ratio 1.45); (7) three pairs of chin shields, with the third pair separated medially by four small scales; (8) 28 midbody scale rows; (9) total ventral + gular scale rows numbering 81; (10) 80 paravertebral scale rows; (11) relatively short limbs, with toes not in contact with fingers when the limbs are adpressed (FLL+HLL/AGD ratio 0.57); (12) 9–10 enlarged subdigital lamellae beneath Finger IV and 13 beneath Toe IV; and (13) in life, dorsum brown, with relatively broad dorsolateral stripes bearing distinctly serrated margins. (Xu et al. 2026) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about less than half a page) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after the Latinized form of the Greek noun γῐ́γᾱς (gígas), meaning “giant.” The name refers to the exceptional size of the new species, which represents the largest known member of the genus Scincella. |
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