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Scelotes bipes (LINNAEUS, 1766)

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Silvery Dwarf Burrowing Skink, Common Burrowing Skink 
SynonymAnguis bipes LINNAEUS 1766: 390
Chalcida bipes — MEYER 1795: 31
Bipes anguineus MERREM 1820 (fide GREER 1970)
Scelotes Linnaei — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 785
Scelotes bipes — GRAY [1845: 123]
Scelotes Linnaei — GRAVENHORST 1851: 376
Scelotes bipes — BOULENGER 1887: 414
Scelotes bipes — LOVERIDGE 1936: 74
Scelotes bipes — BRYGOO 1985: 61
Scelotes bipes — WHITING et al. 2003 
DistributionRepublic of South Africa (W Cape, from Mossel Bay to near Saldanha Bay)

Type locality: “Indiis”  
Reproductionovoviviparous 
TypesHolotype: NRM 139 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): Skull characters: Palatine bones meeting or closely apposed on midline; palatal rami of pterygoids separated medially and diverging posteriorly; pterygoid teeth absent. Postorbital bone present, but small to minute, or absent; supratemporal arch weak, fenestra obliterated by apposition of bones of arch with parietal bone; 11 to 23 maxillary teeth, but only uluguruensis with 22 to 23 maxillary teeth, all other species with 11 to 19 teeth. External characters: Interparietal large, touching supraocular scales; external ear opening present or absent; a pair of supranasals meeting behind rostral (fused only in some bipes); digital formula 5-5 to 0-0 (see Table 1 in GREER 1970).


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CommentLimb morphology: This species lost its forelimb entirely and retains only two digits on the hind limb.

Skull morphology: for a comparison of African burrowing skinks see Stepanova & Bauer 2021.

Type species: Bipes anguineus MERREM 1820 is the type species of the genus Scelotes FITZINGER 1826.

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
EtymologyPresumably named after the Latin bis (two) plus pes (foot), in reference to the lack of forelimbs in the species, leaving only very small hind limbs with two minute clawed digits.

The genus was named after Greek skelos (σκέλος), leg + Greek -otes (-ώτης), suffix denoting quality. [?]. 
References
  • Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp.
  • Bauer, A.M., Whiting, A.S., & Sadlier, R.A. 2003. A new species of Scelotes, from near Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 54:231-237. - get paper here
  • Brygoo, E.R. 1985. Les types des scincidés (Reptiles, Sauriens) du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, catalogue critique. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. (4e sér.) 7 (sect. A 3), suppl.: 1-126
  • Duméril, A. M. C. and G. Bibron. 1839. Erpétologie Générale on Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Vol. 5. Roret/Fain et Thunot, Paris, 871 pp. - get paper here
  • Fraser M. 2023. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa. Biodiversity Observations 13: 162–185. 14 March 2023 - get paper here
  • Gasc J P; Renous S 1980. Les reliefs microscopiques de l'epiderme des squamates (reptiles) et le mode de locomotion. COMPTES RENDUS DU CONGRES NATIONAL DES SOCIETES SAVANTES PARIS SECTION DES SCIENCES 105 (3): 23-33
  • Gravenhorst, J. L. C. 1851. Über die im Zoologischen Museum der Universität Breslau Befindlichen Wirtelschleichen (Pseudosaura), Krüppelfüssler (Brachypoda), und einige andere, Denselben verwandte Reptilien aus den Zünften der Schleichen und Dickzüngler [Euprepes striolatus]. Acta Acad. Caes. Leop. Carol. Nat. Cur. 23 (1): 291-394 [1847] - get paper here
  • Greer, Allen E. 1970. The systematics and evolution of the Subsaharan Africa, Seychelles, and Mauritius Scincine Scincid lizards. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 140 (1): 1-24 - get paper here
  • Heideman, Neil J.L.; Daniel G. Mulcahy, Jack W. Sites, Martin G.J. Hendricks, Savel R. Daniels 2011. Cryptic diversity and morphological convergence in threatened species of fossorial skinks in the genus Scelotes (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Western Cape Coast of South Africa: Implications for species boundaries, digit reduction and conservation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 61 (3): 823-833 - get paper here
  • Hewitt, John 1911. Records of South African Lacertilia and Amphibia, Addenda and Corrigenda. Annals Transvaal Museum 3 (1): 42-55. - get paper here
  • Linné, C. von [= Linnaeus, C.] 1766. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio duodecima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, Holmiae. 1-532 pp. - get paper here
  • Meyer, F.A.A. 1795. Synopsis Reptilium, novam ipsorum sistens generum methodum, nec non Gottingensium huius ordinis animalium enumerationem. Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen, 32 pp [for current names see Rösler & Böhme 2021] - get paper here
  • Rösler, Herbert & Wolfgang Böhme 2021. Das Leben von Friedrich Albrecht Anton Meyer (1768 – 1795) und die Herpetologie in seinen Schriften, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der „Synopsis Reptilium“. Sekretär 21: 83-129
  • Stepanova, N., Bauer, A.M. 2021. Phylogenetic history influences convergence for a specialized ecology: comparative skull morphology of African burrowing skinks (Squamata; Scincidae). BMC Ecol Evo 21, 86 - get paper here
  • Uetz, P.H.; Patel, M.; Gbadamosi, Z.; Nguyen, A.; Shoope, S. 2024. A Reference Database of Reptile Images. Taxonomy 4: 723–732 - get paper here
  • Werner,F. 1910. Reptilia et Amphibia. In Schultze, L., Zoologische und anthropologische Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise im westlichen und zentralen Südafrika. Band IV, Systematik und Tiergeographie Vertebrata B. Denkschr. Med.-Nat. Wiss. GeselI. Jena 16: 279-370 [1910] - get paper here
  • Whiting, A.S.; Aaron M. Bauer & Jack W. Sites, Jr. 2003. Phylogenetic relationships and limb loss in sub-Saharan African scincine lizards (Squamata: Scincidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 29 (3): 582-598 - get paper here
 
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