Kingdom Animalia Suborder Sauria Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Class Reptilia Family Scincidae Genus Sirenoscincus Order Scaled reptiles | |
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Similar Voeltzkowia, Scaled reptiles, Pygomeles, Paracontias, Madascincus | ||
Sirenoscincus mobydick is a species of mermaid skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. In 2012, the species was first described in a paper by French herpetologists Aurélien Miralles, Miguel Vences, and their colleagues.
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Description
Mermaid skinks have only forelimbs, no hind limbs, hence the common name "mermaid skink". This species's forelimbs are shaped like flippers (Sirenoscincus yamagishii has claws). The scientific name Sirenoscincus mobydick consists of the pre-existing parent genus Sirenoscincus, and the name of the white sperm whale from the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. The species name is appropriate because whales have no hind limbs, only forelimbs shaped like flippers, and so does this species of skink. It also lacks pigmentation as Moby-Dick did.
The type series consists of two specimens that measured 67–71 mm (2.6–2.8 in) in snout–vent length. The body is about 4 mm (0.16 in) wide at midbody. In preserved specimens, body is entirely pale with eyes visible as dark spots. Colour is assumed to be pinkish in live animals.
Distribution
This species is endemic to Madagascar, specifically the Sofia Region. The type locality is the urban commune of Boriziny (French: Port-Bergé), Sofia Region, Madagascar.
Taxonomy
In 2015 Sirenoscincus mobydick was reassigned to the genus Voeltzkowia, as Voeltzkowia mobydick, by Miralles et al.