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Nessia gansi

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Species of lizard
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Nessia gansi
Conservation status

Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Nessia
Species: N. gansi
Binomial name
Nessia gansi
Batuwita & Edirisinghe, 2017

Nessia gansi, also known commonly as Gans's three-toed snake skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.

Habitat and distribution

N. gansi is restricted to low-land wet zones up to 100 m (330 ft). Known localities include Ambalangoda, Kanneliya Forest Reserve, Kottawa, Mount Rumaswala, Imaduwa and Kottawa.

Description

N. gansi has the following characters. The midbody scales are in 22-26 rows. The ventral scales number 103-114. There are 93-105 paravertebral dorsal scales. The snout is acutely pointed. There are four limbs, and each limb has three digits. The dorsum is dark brown, with each dorsal scale having a distinct posterior dark spot, and the venter is dusky brown.

Ecology

N. gansi prefers damp forests or home gardens. In home gardens, it is found in loose soil, in leaf debris, close to rubbish heaps.

Reproduction

N. gansi is oviparous.

Etymology

The specific name, gansi, is in honour of American herpetologist Carl Gans.

References

  1. ^ Ukuwela K, Karunarathna S (2021). "Nessia gansi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T149407276A149407456.en. Accessed on 26 July 2022.
  2. ^ Species Nessia gansi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading

  • Batuwita S, Edirisinghe U (2017). "Nessia gansi: a Second Three-toed Snake-Skink (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from Sri Lanka with the Designation of a Neotype for Nessia burtonii Gray. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle «Grigore Antipa» 60 (1): 377–388. (Nessia gansi, new species).


Taxon identifiers
Nessia gansi
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