Serra da Neve lance-skink | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Scincidae |
Genus: | Acontias |
Species: | A. mukwando
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Binomial name | |
Acontias mukwando Marques, Parrinha, Tiutenko, Lopes-Lima, Bauer & Ceríaco, 2023
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Acontias mukwando, the Serra da Neve lance-skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae.[1] It is only known to exist in Serra da Neve in the Angolan Namibe province.[2][3] The species was first documented by Mariana P. Marques, Diogo Parrinha, Arthur Tiutenko, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Aaron M. Bauer & Luis M. P. Ceríaco in 2023.
Acontias mukwando is a medium-sized member of the genus Acontias measuring a length of 172.2 mm (6.77 in).[3] The species lacks limbs or ear openings and is distinguished for other member of Acontias by its exposed eyes and 3 chin shields.[3] It has pink body pigmentation with dark dorsal pigmentation and a dark brown band that runs the mid-dorsal region.[3][4] Its midbody scale row numbers between 15 and 18 scales with 172-178 ventral scales.[3]
Acontias mukwando inhabits the Serra da Neve inselberg in Namibe province, southwestern Angola.[2][3] It is known to forage in the leaf litter of the Miombo forest which dominates the Serra da Neve inselberg area.[3]
Acontias mukwando is named for the noun "mukwando" in honor of the Catchi villagers of Serra da Neve inselberg, who provided assistance to the team that first documented it.[3]