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Celebrating skinks
Why is it in News?
- Zoological Survey of India lists 62 species of Skinks.
Details:
- ZSI findings:
(1) It is the first monograph on this group of lizards in the India.
(2) About 57% of all the skinks found in India (33 species) are endemic.
(3) Of the 16 genera of skinks found in India, four genera are endemic.
(4) Sepsophis and Barkudia are limbless skinks found in the hills and coastal plains of the eastern coast.
(5) Barkudia insularisis found only in the Barkud Island in Chilka lake in Odisha.
(6) Barkudia melanosticta is endemic to Visakhapatnam.
(7) Sepsophis punctatus is endemic to the northern part of Eastern Ghats.
(8) Five species of Kaestlea (blue-tailed ground skinks) are endemic to the Western Ghats.
(9) Four species of Ristella (Cat skinks) also endemic to the southern part of Western Ghats.
- Skinks:
(1) Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae.
(2) Skinks are highly alert, agile and fast moving.
(3) They depend for food on a variety of insects and small invertebrates.
(4) large species are herbivorous and consume fruits of various kinds.
(5) Some species lay eggs, while others give birth to fully developed young.
(6) The reduced limbs of certain skink species or the complete lack of them make their slithering movements resemble those of snakes.
(7) They are represented throughout most of the world but are especially diverse in Southeast Asia.