Montane speckled skink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Montane speckled skink |
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| T. punctatissima sunning in a garden | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Trachylepis |
| Species: |
T. punctatissima
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| Binomial name | |
| Trachylepis punctatissima (Smith, 1849)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Trachylepis punctatissima, also known as the montane speckled skink or speckled rock skink, is a type of lizard. It belongs to the skink family. You can find this skink across many parts of southern Africa. This common and adaptable lizard lives in different kinds of places, especially in areas that are at middle to high altitudes. For a while, people thought it was a southern version of the African striped skink.
What Does It Look Like?
This skink has a dark grey-brown body. It has two golden-brown stripes that run along its back, one on each side of its spine. Its belly is usually a dirty white or light grey color. Both male and female skinks can grow to be about 19 centimeters (about 7.5 inches) long.
Daily Life and Reproduction
Montane speckled skinks are active during the day. This means they are diurnal. They love to bask in the sun to warm up. If they live in very cold places, they might go into a deep sleep called hibernation during the coldest months.
When it comes to having babies, these skinks are special. They are ovoviviparous. This means the mother carries her eggs inside her body until they hatch. The babies then hatch inside her and are born live. It's like giving birth to live young, but the babies develop in eggs first.
Where Do They Live?
You can find the montane speckled skink in several countries in southern Africa. These include eastern Zambia, southern Malawi, and Botswana. They also live in eastern Zimbabwe, central and northern South Africa, Lesotho, and western Eswatini.
Scientists are always learning more about these animals. For example, the skinks living on Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi used to be grouped with other skinks. Now, they are considered their own full species, called Trachylepis mlanjensis. The skinks in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe might also turn out to be a different species.
