Schneider's Skink

Appearance

''E. schneiderii'' has the following characters: Head moderate; snout short, obtuse. Nasal rather large, usually divided, in contact with the two anterior upper labials; no postnasal; 5 supraoculars, the three anterior in contact with the frontal; parietals entirely separated by the interparietal; 4 or 5 pairs of nuchals; ear-opening rather large, with 4 or 5 long pointed lobules anteriorly; 2 azygos postmentals. 22 to 28 scales round the middle of the body, perfectly smooth, the laterals smallest, those of the two median dorsal series very broad and larger than the ventrals. The length of the hind limb is contained 2.5 to 3 times in the length from snout to vent. When pressed against the body, the limbs just meet or fail to meet. A series of transversely enlarged subcaudals.

Olive-grey or brownish above, uniform or with irregular golden-yellow spots or longitudinal streaks; a yellowish lateral streak, extending from below the eye to the hind limb, is constant; lower surfaces yellowish white.

Size: from snout to vent, 16.5 cm ; plus tail, 20 cm .

Naming

Both the specific name, ''schneiderii'', and one of the common names, Schneider's skink, are in honor of German zoologist Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider.

The subspecific name, ''barani'', is in honor of Turkish herpetologist İbrahim Baran.

The subspecific name, ''zarudnyi'', is in honor of Russian zoologist Nikolai Zarudny.Five subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

⤷ ''Eumeces schneiderii barani'' Kumlutas et al., 2007
⤷ ''Eumeces schneiderii pavimentatus''
⤷ ''Eumeces schneiderii princeps''
⤷ ''Eumeces schneiderii schneiderii''
⤷ ''Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi'' Nikolsky, 1900

''Nota bene'': A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Eumeces''.

Distribution

''E. schneiderii'' is found in Eastern Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, western Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran , Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Transcaucasia, Russia , Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, eastern Georgia, southern Armenia, Azerbaijan, Asia Minor, Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, northwestern India.

⤷ Subspecies ''E. s. barani'': Turkey .
⤷ Subspecies ''E. s. pavimentatus'': Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
⤷ Subspecies ''E. s. princeps'': Armenia, Azerbaijan, Caucasus
⤷ Subspecies ''E. s. zarudnyi'': southeastern Iranian Plateau in Kerman Province and Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran; Helmand Basin and southern desert regions of Afghanistan; Baluchistan and Mekran Coast of Pakistan. Type locality: Bazman, Iran .

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of ''E. schneiderii'' are rocky areas, grassland, shrubland, and wetlands, at altitudes of 150–1,800 m.

Reproduction

''E. schneiderii'' is oviparous.