Eutropis brevis ( Günther, 1875 )
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.26515/rzsi/v121/i3/2021/154296 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/45642A32-D41F-FFC0-0A2E-10E96CA73F7A |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Eutropis brevis ( Günther, 1875 ) |
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Eutropis brevis ( Günther, 1875) View in CoL
Euprepes brevis Günther, 1875 View in CoL
Mabouia brevis – Boulenger, 1887
Mabuya macularia – Boulenger, 1890 part
Mabuya macularia – Inger et al., 1984 part
Mabuya macularia var. 1 – Smith, 1935 part
Eutropis macularia 3 (Western Ghats) – Datta-Roy et al.,
2012 part
Eutropis macularia ( Blyth, 1853) View in CoL – Batuwita, 2016 part
Syntypes: NHMUK 1874.4.29.254-55 two adults from Travancore , NHMUK 1874.4 About NHMUK .29.354 (re-reg. NHMUK
1946.8.19.14)a subadult from Anamallays, coll. R.H. Beddome ( Günther, 1875; Boulenger, 1887).
Etymology: Apparently named after its short body form ( Günther, 1875).
Type locality: Travancore and Anamallays [Western Ghats, South India].
Diagnosis: ( Günther, 1875; Boulenger, 1887, 1890; Smith, 1935; Datta-Roy et al., 2012): A relatively small species of Eutropis (adult SVL 37 mm; adult males in nuptial colouration seen in individuals from ~ 27mm) restricted to the Western Ghats, belonging to E. macularia clade, characterised by: 27-30 midbody scale rows, nuchal and dorsal scales with 3-5 keels on each scale, with no pointed spurs projecting behind or mucronate structures; postnasals absent; supranasals and prefrontals separated; 2 distinctly divided frontoparietals; interparietal fully separating parietals; one pair of broad nuchals; temporal scales with 3-4 keels; ear-hole as large as a lateral scale without anterior lobules; lower eyelids scaly with a series of opaque scales; ventrals: 41-45; fourth toe subdigital lamellae: 14-16; dorsum uniform fawn brown with a wide dark grey-brown lateral wash extending fromneartemporal to inguinal region.
Redescription of the Syntypes
Habitus: A rather small and stout skink with a fairly cylindrical body. Head indistinct from neck. Snout obtusely pointed, its length exceeding eye-tympanum distance. Torso short and fairly thick, a little longer than hind limb length. Limbs well-developed, with the hind limbs distinctly larger than forelimbs. Adpressed ipsilateral fore and hind limbs touch each other. Relative length of fingers IV>III>II>V>I and toes IV>III>V>II>I. Ear-hole as large as lateral scale, round; tympanum deeply sunk, without anterior lobules. Eyes large, eyelids well-developed. Lower eyelids scaly with a series of opaque scales. Tail thick but gradually becomes pointed at the tip. Tail is slightly longer than the body.
Scalation: Dorsal, lateral and ventral scales of torso almost equal in size. Dorsal scales with 3-5 strong keels without pointed spurs or mucros projecting behind. Lateral scales with 3 weak keels without any pointed spurs projecting behind. Ventral scales hexagonal with 3 weak keels. Paravertebrals: 33-34. Midventrals: 41-45. Midbody scale rows: 27-30. Nostril in posterior part of nasal. Postnasal absent. Rostral over twice as high as wide; curving up onto dorsum of head, its posterior margin semicircular; in contact with 1 st supralabial, nasal, supranasal and frontonasal. Supranasals small and widely separated; in contact with rostral, nasal, frontonasal and anterior loreal. Frontonasal as wide as long and forming a broad margin with rostral anteriorly and frontal posteriorly; in contact with rostral, supranasal, anterior loreal, prefrontal and frontal. Prefrontals not in contact with each other; in contact with frontonasal, both loreals (anterior and posterior), frontal, 1st supraocular and 1 st supraciliary. Frontal arrow-shaped, large, larger than frontoparietal and interparietal together; in contact with frontonasal, prefrontal, second supraocular and frontoparietal; posteriorly rounded. Frontoparietals larger than interparietal; in contact with each other and with frontal, 2 nd- 4 thsupraoculars, parietal and interparietal.Interparietal longer than wide; completely separating parietals. Parietal in contact with frontoparietal, 4 th supraocular, temporal, nuchal and interparietal. One pair of broad nuchals, with 8-9 keels on each scale. Supraoculars 4, 2 nd the largest. Loreals 2 on each side of head. Anterior loreal higher than wide, much higher than the posterior. Posterior loreal 2.5 times wider than anterior. Anterior loreal in contact with 1 st supralabial slightly, 2 nd supralabial broadly, supranasal, frontonasal, prefrontal and posterior loreal.Posterior loreal in contact with 2 nd, 3 rd and 4 th supralabial, anterior loreal, prefrontal, 1 st supraciliary and preocular.One preocular and one presubocular. Postoculars 3. Supraciliaries 5-6, 1st the largest, 3 rd the longest. Temporal scales with 3-4 keels. Supralabials 6, 5 th the largest, situated below eye. Infralabials 6. Mental wider than longin contact with 1st infra-labial. Post-mental wider than long, in contact with 1 st- 2 nd infralabials. First chin shields divided by a single row of ventral scales, in contact with 2 nd- 3 rd infralabials. Second chin shields divided by a single row of ventral scales, in contact with3 rd- 4 th infralabials. Third chin shields divided by 3-4 rows of ventral scales, in contact with 4 th- 5 th infralabials. Scales on limbs are with 2-3 keels dorsally, smooth ventrally. Subdigital lamellae of 4th toe: 14-16. Precloacal scales not enlarged. Subcaudals not enlarged.
Colouration in preservative: Forehead, dorsum of body and tail uniform, unpatterned drab brown. A thick, wide, dark grey-brown lateral stripe from posterior corner of eye to a little behind hind limb insertion. A pale yellow margin below the dark stripe from the upper lip passing below the ear opening and extending upto the area above the forelimb. This stripe feeble though discernable in adult specimens but evident in the sub-adult (NMHUK
1874.4.29.354). Venter off-white, with darker scale margins.
Colouration in life (based on live, uncollected individuals encountered in situ): Dorsum golden to fawn brown; this ground colour extending from snout tip to tail tip. Laterally, sandwiched by a dark, wide black or coffee brown band passing from loreal and preocular region till the tail base, across both the fore and hind limbs. Dorsolateral colour demarcation effected by a thin black and yellow series of spots forming a stripe, distinct till mid trunk. A second such stripe passes from supra-labials below tympanum and across the laterals till the mid trunk. A dense group of black and yellow spots starting beyond temporals extending across the axillary region till mid trunk. Nuptial males with a distinct scarlet red wash on chin and the sides of throat. Ventrally cream to yellowishwhite, with darker brownish speckles near throat in both sexes and scale borders ( Figures 2 View Figure 2 & 3 View Figure 3 ).
Distribution and natural history: Eutropis brevis is a diurnal, fast-moving, leaf litter-dwelling, insectivorous skink inhabiting evergreen and moist deciduous forests of the Western Ghats. Judging by literature records ( Günther, 1875; Boulenger, 1887, 1890; Smith, 1935; Inger et al., 1984) as well as the examined series of materials, this species appears to be endemic to the Western Ghats. It is known from the southernmost range the Ashambu, Agasthyamalai, northwards across Cardamom hills, Travancore, High Wavys, High Ranges, Munnar, Anaimalai and Parambikulam hills. It is possible that Eutropis brevis is a common and well-distributed skink inhabiting the wet mountainous forest tracts of southwestern India.
Comparisons: A species belonging to the E. macularia clade ( Datta-Roy et al., 2012; Barley et al., 2014), distinguished from peninsular Indian members of the E. macularia clade as follows, only opposing character suites listed: E. dawsoni (larger SVL upto 61 mm; dorsal body scales 5-6 keels; each scale with projecting spurs behind; tympanum larger than or at least equal to a lateral body scale with 3-4 visible anterior tympanic lobules; head longer than its width; fore-arm longer than lower arm; shank longer than thigh); E. clivicola (larger SVL upto 55 mm; dorsal body scales with 5-7 feeble keels; each scale without projecting spurs behind; tympanum with 2-3 visible anterior tympanic lobules, a distincthalf vertebral stripe on trunk; prefrontals in narrow contact with each other; interparietal in broad contact with nuchal; lower eyelid scaly with the central scale not enlarged than surrounding ones); E. allapallensis (frontoparietals fused; dorsal scale rows as low as 26); E. macularia (larger SVL upto 70 mm; dorsal body scales 5-9 keels; each scale without projecting spurs behind; tympanum larger than or at least equal to a lateral body scale with 2-3 indistinguishable anterior tympanic lobules, much lower 4th toe subdigital scale count 12–14; paravertebrals scale count much higher: 39–41; midventral scale count much higher: upto 51). Additionally, E. brevis is distinct from the geographically-proximate Sri Lankan members of the E. macularia clade namely, E. madraszi , E. austini and E. greeri by: pretemporals in contact with parietal; first pair of chin shields separated by a median scale; E. tammanna : prefrontals in contact with each other.
| NHMUK |
Natural History Museum, London |
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
