Chalcides simonyi explained

The Fuerteventura skink (Chalcides simonyi) is an endangered ovoviviparous species of skink in the family Scincidae. Skinks are generally characterized by their smaller legs and less pronounced necks compared to typical lizards.

Etymology

The specific name, simonyi, is in honor of Viennese naturalist Oskar Simonyi (1852–1915), who also described El Hierro giant lizard in the same region.^[1]

Geographic range

C. simonyi is found only on the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.

Habitat

The natural habitats of C. simonyi are temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate grassland, rocky areas, pastureland, and urban areas.

Further reading

• Steindachner F (1891). "Ueber die Reptilien und Batrachier der westlichen und östlichen Gruppe der canarischen Inseln ". Ann. K. K. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums, Wien 6: 287–306. (Chalcides simonyi, new species, pp. 299–300). (in German).

Notes and References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Chalcides simonyi, p. 244).