Mesoscincus schwartzei (FISCHER, 1884)
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Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Mayan Black-headed Skink, Schwartze's Skink S: Lincer de Schwartz |
Synonym | Eumeces schwartzei FISCHER 1884: 43 Eumeces schwartzii — GÜNTHER 1885: 33 Eurylepis schwartzei — DUNN 1933 Eumeces schwartzei — TAYLOR 1936: 94 Eumeces schwartzei — SMITH & TAYLOR 1950: 162 Eumeces schwartzei — STUART 1963 Eumeces schwartzei — LINER 1994 Mesoscincus schwartzei — GRIFFITH, NGO & MURPHY 2000 Eumeces schwartzei — KÖHLER 2000: 92 Mesoscincus schwartzei — SCHMITZ et al. 2004 |
Distribution | Mexico (Chiapas, Yucatan, Tabasco, Campeche, Quintana Roo), Guatemala, Belize. Type locality: “Eine kleine Insel in der Laguna de Términos (Campeche Bai)”. |
Reproduction | oviparous (phylogenetic imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
Types | Holotype: ZMH R04402, Naturh. Mus. Hamburg (formerly no. 810, RK 821 Fol.335 E.K.7260). |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus Mesoscincus): 27 presacral vertebrae. Limbs relatively slender, lamellae not expanded. Dorsal surface of head somewhat depressed in lateral view, parietal bone with clear lateral indentations and supratemporal fontanelle open. Sexual dimorphism not distinct. Scales shiny, separated by shallow sutures. Two loreals, followed by three presubocular scales. Post-nasal scales present. Palpebral and superciliary scales not separated by groove. Elevated numbers (4 or 5 pairs) of nuchal scales, followed by several pairs of broadened mid-dorsal scales and broad row of fused mid-dorsal scales. Large medial preanal scales overlie small lateral pair. Ear lobules small and rounded, but conspicuous. Color pattern variable, but generally consists of irregular spots and longitudinal striping. From lowlands of southern Mexico (Michoacan, Yucatan Peninsula), northern and Pacific coastal Honduras, Pacific coastal Nicaragua and Costa Rica (GRIFFITH et al. 2000). |
Comment | Type Species: Eumeces schwartzei FISCHER 1884 is the type species of the genus Mesoscincus GRIFFITH et al. 2000. |
Etymology | Named after “Herrn Obergerichtspräsidenten Dr. E. W. E. Schwartze,” ... “Präsidenten des Verwaltungsrates der Zoologischen Gesellschaft in Hamburg” (from FISCHER 1884). The genus name refers to the Middle American distribution of this group, and its current position as a middle group within the scincid cladogram. It is masculine in gender. |
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