Gyldenstolpe's worm skink (''Isopachys gyldenstolpei)'', also known commonly as Gyldenstolpe's isopachys and Gyldenstolpe's snake skink, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Scincidae. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''gyldenstolpei'', is in honor of

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

Nils Gyldenstolpe. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Isopachys gyldenstolpei'', p. 112).

Geographic range

''I. gyldenstolpei'' is found only in Thailand.

Habitat

The preferred natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

of ''I. gyldenstolpei'' is

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Description

The maximum total length (including tail) of ''I. gyldenstolpei'' is . The species is limbless.

Behavior

''I. gyldenstolpei'' is terrestrial and

fossorial A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees. Prehistoric eviden ...

Reproduction

''I. gyldenstolpei'' is

viviparous Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the m ...

References

* Gumprecht A, Trautmann D (2006). "The Portrait: ''Isopachys gyldenstolpei'' Lönnberg". ''Sauria'' 28 (3): 1–2. * Lönnberg E (1916). "Zoological Results of the Swedish Zoological Expedition to Siam 1911-1912 and 1914: 2. Lizards". ''Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar'' 55 (4): 1–12. (''Isopachys gyldenstolpei'', new species, pp. 10–12 + Figures 2–6). * Smith MA (1935). ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria.'' London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. (''Ophioscincus gyldenstolpei'', pp. 335–336, Figure 75). * Taylor EH (1963). "The Lizards of Thailand". ''University of Kansas Science Bulletin'' 44: 687–1077. (''Isopachys gyldenstolpei'', p. 1061). Isopachys Reptiles of Thailand Endemic fauna of Thailand Reptiles described in 1916 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Einar Lönnberg {{skink-stub