Nessia layardi

Nessia layardi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Nessia
Species:
N. layardi
Binomial name
Nessia layardi
(Kelaart, 1853)[2]
Synonyms[2]
  • Acontias layardi
    Kelaart, 1853
  • Acontias (Nessia) layardi
    — Deraniyagala, 1931
  • Acontias (Anguinicephalus) layardi
    — Deraniyagala, 1934
  • Nessia layardi
    — M.A. Smith, 1935

Nessia layardi, commonly known as Layard's snake skink or Layard's nessia, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Scincinae of the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.[2]

Etymology

The specific name, layardi, is in honor of British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard.[3]

Habitat and geographic range

The preferred natural habitat of N. layardi is forest.[1] A poorly known skink from the hills of the Central Province and the wet zone coastal areas, known localities include Millawa, Wellawatte, Lunava, and Polgahawela. It inhabits moist soil and decaying leaf litter, especially at the base of trees, at elevations up to 150 m (490 ft).[citation needed]

Description

N. layardi is legless.[4] The snout of is subconical. A single loreal is present. The limbs, an ear opening, and supranasals are absent. The dorsum is brown, each scale with a darker margin.[citation needed]

Reproduction

N. layardi is oviparous.[1][2] Clutch size is two eggs.[1] The eggs, which are produced around March, are deposited in heaps of coconut leaves or in silt over stony substratum. The eggs are soft-shelled, measuring 6.4 mm × 15.9 mm (0.25 in × 0.63 in).[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b c d de Silva A, Wickramasinghe LJM (2021). "Nessia layardi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T197202A123312022.en. Accessed on 18 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Species Nessia layardi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Nessia layardi, p. 153).
  4. ^ Boulenger GA (1887).

Further reading

  • Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Acontias layardi, p. 426).
  • Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. ("Acontias layardii [sic]", p. 228).
  • Günther ACLG (1864). The Reptiles of British India. London: The Ray Society. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxvii + 452 pp. + Plates I–XXVI. (Acontias layardi, p. 96).
  • Kelaart EF (1853). Prodromus Faunæ Zeylanicæ; being Contributions to the Zoology of Ceylon. Volume II. Colombo: E.F. Kelaart [self-published]. 251 pp. (Acontias layardi, new species, p. 12).
  • Smith MA (1935). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. (Nessia layardi, new combination, p. 359).


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