''Mochlus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

skink Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Ski ...

s, lizards 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 genus 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 ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Description

Skinks of the genus ''Mochlus'' are cylindrical in shape and robust. They get the common name "writhing skinks" from the side-to-side movement that they make when held in the hand.

Diet

Skinks in the genus ''Mochlus'' feed on insects and millipedes.Alexander, Graham; Marais, Johan (2008). ''A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers. 408 pp. . ("Writhing Skinks", pp. 247-248).

Species

The following 19

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 ...

are recognized as being valid. *''

Mochlus brevicaudis ''Mochlus brevicaudis'' is a species of skink. It is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, possibly extending into Togo. It is a semi-fossorial species inhabiting moist savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. gr ...

'' *''

Mochlus fernandi The fire skink (''Mochlus fernandi''), also known as the true fire skink or Togo fire skink, is a fairly large skink, a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. The species is known for its bright and vivid coloration. Native ...

'' – fire skink *''

Mochlus grandisonianus ''Mochlus grandisonianus'', also known as Lanza's writhing skink, is a species of skink. It is endemic to Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal ...

'' – Lanza's writhing skink *''

Mochlus guineensis ''Mochlus guineensis'', the Guinean forest skink, is a species of skink. It is found in southern West Africa and in Cameroon in the westernmost Central Africa, but possibly also further east. It occurs in savanna A savanna or savannah is a ...

'' – Guinean forest skink *''

Mochlus hinkeli ''Mochlus hinkeli'', also known as Hinkel's red-sided skink or Hinkel's red-flanked skink, is a species of skink. It is found in eastern Central Africa and East Africa, in the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, ...

'' – Hinkel's red-sided skink, Hinkel's red-flanked skink *''

Mochlus laeviceps The common writhing skink (''Mochlus laeviceps'') is a species of skink found in Somalia and Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Repu ...

'' (W. Peters, 1874) – common writhing skink *''

Mochlus lanceolatus ''Mochlus lanceolatus'', also known as Broadley's writhing skink, is a species of skink. It is endemic to Mozambique and found in the Bazaruto Archipelago and the adjacent mainland (northern tip of the San Sebastian Peninsula). It inhabits dune ...

'' Broadley, 1990 – Broadley's writhing skink *''

Mochlus mabuiiformis ''Mochlus mabuiiformis'', also known as the Mabuya-like writhing skink or Mabuya-like skink, is a species of skink. This poorly known species is found in southern Somalia and north coastal Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu ...

'' – Mabuya-like writhing skink *''

Mochlus mafianus ''Mochlus mafianus'', also known as the Mafia writhing skink, is a species of skink. It is found on Mafia and Kisuju Islands, off the coast of Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano w ...

'' – mafia writhing skink *'' Mochlus mocquardi'' – Mocquard's writhing skinkBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Lygosoma mocquardi'', p. 181). *'' Mochlus paedocarinatus'' – Lanza's writhing skink, Abyssinian writhing skink *'' Mochlus pembanus'' Boettger, 1913 –

Pemba Island Pemba Island ( ar, الجزيرة الخضراء ''al-Jazīra al-khadrā'', literally "The Green Island"; sw, Pemba kisiwa) is a Tanzanian island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, lying within the Swahili Coast in the Indian Ocean. Geog ...

writhing skink *'' Mochlus productus'' – Boulenger's writhing skink *'' Mochlus simonettai'' – Simonetta's writhing skink *'' Mochlus somalicus'' – Somali writhing skink *'' Mochlus striatus'' *''

Mochlus sundevallii ''Mochlus sundevallii'', also known commonly as Peters' eyelid skink, Peters' writhing skink, and Sundevall's writhing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Etymology The specifi ...

'' – Sundevall's writhing skink *''

Mochlus tanae ''Mochlus tanae'', also known commonly as Loveridge's writhing skink or the Tana River writhing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to East Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''tanae'' refers to the ...

'' – Loveridge's writhing skink, Tana River writhing skink *'' Mochlus vinciguerrae'' – Vinciguerra's writhing skink ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Mochlus''.

Description

Diet

Species

References

Further reading