Gronovi's dwarf burrowing skink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gronovi's dwarf burrowing skink |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Scelotes
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| Species: |
gronovii
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Gronovi's dwarf burrowing skink (Scelotes gronovii) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.
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Etymology
Both the specific name, gronovii, and the common name are in honour of Dutch naturalist Laurens Theodorus Gronovius.
Description
S. gronovii has no front legs, and each back leg has only one toe. The snout-to-vent length (SVL) of adults is usually 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in), and the maximum recorded SVL is 7 cm (2.8 in).
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of S. gronovii is sparse sandy shrubland in the southwestern coastal margins of the Western Cape (including Dassen Island), at altitudes below 100 m (330 ft).
Behaviour
S. gronovii is terrestrial and fossorial.
Reproduction
S. gronovii is ovoviviparous. A litter consists of one or two newborns, each of which has a total length (including tail) of 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in).
