Chalcides bottegi Boulenger, 1898

Kirchhof, Sebastian, Wasonga, Victor, Mazuch, Tomáš, Spawls, Stephen & Malonza, Patrick Kinyatta, 2023, An annotated checklist of the herpetofauna of the Sibiloi National Park in northern Kenya based on field surveys, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 324) 17 (1 / 2), pp. 1-18 : 9

Chalcides bottegi Boulenger, 1898

Vouchers: NMK-389L (field no. SK16 1092)

Localities: KA (B), KF (G)

Remarks: This skink ( Fig. 4O ) is known from dry savanna and semi-desert in northern Kenya. We found only two individuals of this semi-fossorial skink in KA and KF in grassland and bushland, respectively. Both individuals were active during the day, one was found under dead reeds along the lake shore, and the other was digging into the loose sand under a Commiphora africana shrub. The body temperature of the individual under the reed was 34.9 °C at a substrate temperature of 34 °C ( T a 37.5 °C). These are the first Kenyan records from the eastern side of Lake Turkana.

Figures

Fig. 4. Reptile species recorded during the surveys: (A) Crocodylus niloticus; (B) Agama lionotus; (C) Agama rueppelli; (D) Holodactylus africanus; (E) Hemidactylus angulatus; (F) Hemidactylus barbierii; (G) Hemidactylus lanzai; (H) Hemidactylus ruspolii; (I) Homopholis fasciata; (J) Lygodactylus somalicus; (K) Stenodactylus sthenodactylus; (L) Heliobolus spekii; (M) Latastia longicaudata; (N) Philochortus rudolfensis; (O) Chalcides bottegi; (P) Mochlus sundevallii; (Q) Trachylepis striata; (R) Varanus albigularis; (S) Eryx colubrinus; (T) Platyceps brevis; (U) Psammophis cf. tanganicus; (V) Psammophis punctulatus; (W) Rhamphiophis rostratus; (X) Naja pallida; (Y) Bitis arietans; and (Z) Echis pyramidum.