Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Vertebrata Order Squamata Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Suborder Sauria / Lacertilia | |
Nessia deraniyagalai, commonly known as Deraniyagala's snake skink or Deraniyagala's nessia, is a species of limbless skink endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.
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Etymology
The specific name, deraniyagalai, is in honor of Sri Lankan zoologist Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala.
Habitat & distribution
N. deraniyagala is known only from dry northeastern Sri Lanka, where a single specimen was collected north of Trincomalee, near the shore, on a small hillock of about 10 m (33 ft) elevation.
Description
Scales in 20 rows at midbody. Paired loreals, the anterior much higher. Fronto-parietal broader than frontal. Lower eyelid movable. Five supralabials, the first long, the second under the orbit.
Dorsum brown, each scale with a dark brown spot, giving the appearance of longitudinal stripes. A blackish brown area above the eye that continues to top of snout.