Gardiner's burrowing skink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gardiner's burrowing skink |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pamelaescincus
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| Species: |
gardineri
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Gardiner's burrowing skink (Pamelaescincus gardineri) is a special type of lizard. It belongs to the Scincidae family, also known as skinks. This skink is the only species in its unique group, or genus, called Pamelaescincus. You can only find this particular lizard in the Seychelles islands.
What's in a Name?
The scientific name of this skink, Pamelaescincus, honors Pamela. She is the older sister of Allen E. Greer, a scientist who studied these lizards.
The second part of its name, gardineri, honors a British zoologist named John Stanley Gardiner. Zoologists are scientists who study animals.
Where It Lives
Gardiner's burrowing skink is found only in the Seychelles. These are a group of islands located in the Indian Ocean. This makes the skink an endemic species, meaning it naturally lives only in this one place.
Habitat and Behavior
The natural habitat of P. gardineri includes warm, dry forests and moist lowland forests. It can live from sea level up to about 1,600 meters (5,250 feet) high.
This skink likes to burrow, or dig, in the leaf litter and soil. This helps it find food and stay safe.
Reproduction
Gardiner's burrowing skink is oviparous. This means that the female skink lays eggs.
Conservation Status
Some groups of P. gardineri are affected by new predators that have been brought to the islands. Its habitat can also be damaged. However, unlike some of its relatives, this skink is not currently considered an endangered species by the IUCN. This means its numbers are stable enough for now.
