Nessia layardi

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Nessia layardi
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Nessia
Species:
N. layardi
Binomial name
Nessia layardi
(Kelaart, 1853)[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • 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 skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.[1]

Etymology[]

The specific name, layardi, is in honor of British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard.[2]

Habitat & geographic range[]

N. layardi is a poorly known skink from the hills of the Central Province and the wet zone coastal areas. Known localities include , Wellawatte, , and Polgahawela. It inhabits moist soil and decaying leaf litter, especially at the base of trees, at elevations up to 150 m (490 ft).

Description[]

The snout of N. layardi 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.

Reproduction[]

The eggs of N. layardi 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), and two eggs are produced at a time around March.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Nessia layardi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. ^ 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).

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. 246).
  • 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).

External links[]

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