Lankascincus fallax (PETERS, 1860)
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Lankascincus fallax
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Ristellinae (Ristellini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Peters' Tree Skink |
| Synonym | Lygosoma fallax PETERS 1860: 184 Eumeces tabrobanenesis GÜNTHER 1864 (part., fide SMITH 1935) Lygosoma megalops ANNANDALE 1906: 190 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) fallax — DERANIYAGALA 1931 Lygosoma fallax — SMITH 1935: 288 Lygosoma megalops — SMITH 1935: 289 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) fallax — SMITH 1937: 220 Sphenomorphus rufogulus TAYLOR 1950: 504 (fide GREER 1991) Sphenomorphus megalops — TAYLOR 1950: 497 Sphenomorphus fallax — TAYLOR 1950: 501 Sphenomorphus megalops — DERANIYAGALA 1953: 70 Sphenomorphus fallax — TAYLOR 1953 Sphenomorphus megalops — TAYLOR 1953 Lankascincus fallax — GREER 1991 Lankascincus deraniyagalae GREER 1991 Sphenomorphus megalops — DAS 1996: 48 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — DAS 1996: 48 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — DE SILVA 1996 Lankascincus fallax — AUSTIN et al. 2004 Lankascincus deraniyagalae — AUSTIN et al. 2004 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — RODRIGOI et al. 2006 Lankascincus fallax — ZIESMANN et al. 2007 Sphenomorphus rufogulus — ZIESMANN et al. 2007 Sphenomorphus megalops — SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009 Lankascincus dorsicatenatus — SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009: 225 (fig 261) Lankascincus gansi — SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009: 229 (fig. 263) Lankascincus deraniyagalae — DAS & DAS 2017 Lankascincus fallax — BATUWITA 2019 Lankascincus megalops — BATUWITA 2019: 223 Lankascincus fallax — AMARASINGHE et la. 2022 |
| Distribution | Sri Lanka Introduced to India (Kerala) (Ghosh et al. 2024) Type locality: Ratnapura, Trincomali, Ceylon deraniyagalae: Sri Lanka (central hills including sub montane area, and the Galle Fort area in the coastal plane); Type locality: Punduloya, Ceylon megalops: Sri Lanka; Type locality: Pitawala, near Kitulgala (Sabaragamuwa Province), 06°59’N, 80°27’E, 800 m elevation (neotype locality). |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Syntypes: ZMB 3762, ZMB 64361, NMW 16630:1-9, see Bauer et al. (2003). The syntypes were considered lost or formerly in NMSL); the neotype, NMSL (WHT) 6545, designated by Batuwita 2019: 223 is invalid fide Amarasinghe et al. 2022; from Puttalam and Kithulgala, Sri Lanka (see Batuwita & Pethiyagoda, 2007). Apparently the neotype had not been deposited in NMSL by May 2021 (Thasun Amarasinghe, pers. comm., 23 Sep 2020 and 3 May 2021). Paratypes: NMSL Holotype: FMNH 120229 [Sphenomorphus rufogulus] Holotype: BMNH 95.7.23.28C; Paratypes: BMNH 95.7.23.28B, D-E, same data as holotype. MCZ 39837-39, Dimbulla, Queensland Estate. SMF 15460, Pt. de Galle; other specimens: ZMH [deraniyagalae] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Compared to other lygosomine skinks, the skinks of this genus share the following combination of derived character states: size small (maximum SVL, 58 mm); nuchals undifferentiated; subocular scale row complete and non-interdigitating with supralabials; external ear opening reduced, approximately three times size of narial opening; postmental contacts first infralabial only; third pair of chin scales separated from infralabial row; outer preanals overlap inner; scales perfectly smooth; subdigital lamellae with postaxial groove basally; premaxillary teeth >11; palatal rami of pterygoids slightly expanded posteromedially; fat bodies absent; clutch size constant, two or one, depending on species (GREER 1991). 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 4747 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Synonymy: BATUWITA 2019 synonymized Lankascincus deraniyagalae GREER 1991 with L. fallax. Amarasinghe et al. 2022 synonymized Lygosoma megalops with L. fallax. Type Species: Lygosoma fallax PETERS 1860 is the type species of the genus Lankascincus GREER 1991. For a general description of the species in the taxon see Taylor (1950) and Deraniyagala (1953), and for some general morphometrics see Table 1 in Greer 1991. Kanishka et al. 2020 provide a comparison of most Lankascincus species in their Tables 4 and 5. Key: Kanishka et al. 2020: 116 provide a key to the species of Lankascincus. Species groups: L. gansi group: L. gansi sensu lato; L. taylori group: L. taylori, L. sripadensis; L. dorsicatenatus group: L. dorsicatenatus, L. megalops; L. deignani group: L. deignani and L. greeri; L. fallax, L. taprobanensis, and L. merrill. Phylogenetics: for a phylogenetic analysis of the position of Lankascincus see Ghosh et al. 2023. Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. |
| Etymology | A Latin adjective meaning ‘deceptive’ or ‘fallacious’ in the neutral nominative, with unclear justification. The genus is named after Sri Lanka. |
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