Scelotes duttoni explained

Scelotes duttoni is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique.

Etymology

The specific name, duttoni, is in honor of South African ecologist Paul Dutton.^[1]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of S. duttoni is the supralittoral zone and dunes, at altitudes of .

Description

S. duttoni has no front legs, only vestigial buds. Each back leg has only two digits, the inner digit much longer than the outer. Adults have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . The tail length is slightly shorter than (SVL). Dorsally, S. duttoni is blackish, with a pale dorsolateral line on each side.

Reproduction

S. duttoni is ovoviviparous. Litter size is two or three young. Each newborn measures in total length (including tail).^[2]

Further reading

• Broadley DG (1990). "The herpetofaunas of the islands off the coast of South Moçambique". Arnoldia (Zimbabwe) 9 (35): 469–493. (Scelotes duttoni, new species).
• Broadley DG (1994). "The genus Scelotes Fitzinger (Reptilia: Scincidae) in Mozambique, Swaziland and Natal, South Africa". Annals of the Natal Museum 35: 237–259.

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
2. [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]