CLASSIFICATION OF MABUIA : SKINK
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)
Class :- REPTILIA ( Scaly vertebrates with right and left aortic arches. Single condyle, pulmonary respiration. Embryo with amnion and allantois ).
Sub-class :- DIAPSIDA ( Skull with two temporal openings separated by postorbital and squamosal ).
Order :- SQUAMATA ( Lizards and snakes with horny epidermal scales or shields. Quadrate bone movable. Vertebrae procoelous. Anal opening transverse).
Sub-order :- SAURIA ( Lizards. Body slender, limbs 4. Pterygoid in contact with quadrate. Eyelids movable )
FAMILY :- SCINCIDAE ( Scales smooth).
GENUS :- Mabuia
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Mabuia or skinks are cosmopolitan; species occur in a variety of habitats worldwide, apart from boreal and polar regions. Various species occur in ecosystems ranging from deserts and mountains to grasslands.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Mabuia is adapted for burrowing life and consequently head contains small eyes. Skinks are generally carnivorous and in particular insectivorous.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF MABUIA : SKINK
- Commonly called as Skink or Sanp ki mosi.
- It is, at first look, mistaken for small snakes.
- Body is reddish-brown in colour, vermiform, and divided into head,
neck, trunk and tail. - Body is covered with smooth and round margined cycloid scales
with dermal ossiftcations beneath. - They use their tongues to sniff the air and track their prey.
- Head has sub-cutaneous eyes. Tongue with scale-like papillae
and indentate tip. - Forelimbs and hind limbs have delicate toes.
- Most species of skinks are oviparous, laying eggs in clutches
SPECIAL FEATURES
This diapsid lizard shows retrogressive convergent evolution. The tail if broken from any place it again regenerates, although small in size because vertebrae do not regenerate. Tail contains intervening unossified zones between vertebrae which are easily broken and then regenerated. This is called as caudal autotomy. Wall lizard is adapted to walk on walls, roofs and on smooth surfaces. The walking is effected by the dilated digits, which contain double series of lamellae and work under vacuum principle. The digits are first pressed over wall and then released gently to create a vacuum, by which they remain adhered to wall and are able to walk.
IDENTIFICATION
Wall lizard or Hemidactylus is well familiar even to a lay-man and can easily be identified by above features.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skink
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
- SOURCES OF IMAGES – https://unsplash.com/s/photos/skink
