''Leptosiaphos amieti'', also known
commonly as the Cameroon five-toed 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 ...
of
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 ...
to
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
.
[
]
Etymology
The specific name, ''amieti'', is in honor of Swiss herpetologist Jean-Louis Amiet.
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 ''L. amieti'' 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' ...
, at altitudes of .[
]
Description
''L. amieti'' is reddish brown dorsally
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
, and whitish ventrally. Adults have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about . The tail length is 1.5 times SVL.[ Perret (1973).]
Reproduction
''L. amieti'' is oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
.[
]
References
Further reading
* Chirio L, LeBreton M (2007). ''Atlas des reptiles du Cameroun''. Paris: Publications scientifiques du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle. 688 pp. . (in French).
* Perret J-L (1973). "''Contribution à l'étude des ''Panaspis'' (Reptilia, Scincidae) d'Afrique occidentale avec la description de deux espèces nouvelles'' ". ''Revue suisse de Zoologie'' 80 (2): 595–630. (''Panaspis amieti'', new species, pp. 617–620, Figure 5). (in French).
Leptosiaphos
Skinks of Africa
Reptiles of Cameroon
Endemic fauna of Cameroon
Reptiles described in 1973
Taxa named by Jean-Luc Perret
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