Ablepharus is a genus of that contains the common snake-eyed skinks.[ Orbital Lubrication Hypothesis at the Canadian Journal of Zoology] They are small lizards and prefer to live in the leaf litter of dry fields and hills.[ Ablepharus kitaibelii at the IUCN Red List] Their scales give them a very shiny, bronze appearance with a characteristically dark stripe down the sides of their bodies. They prey on small insects and other small mollusks.[ Snake-eyed Skink at the Wildlife Archipelago ]
Characteristics
Appearance
The scales on all
Ablepharus species are shiny and bronze in appearance. Also, a very characteristic bronze stripe runs the length of the dorsal surface of the body. They have short, weak front legs, which contribute to their moving in a serpentine-like manner. In general, females are longer and weigh more than their male counterparts.
Ablepharus species have thick tails relative to their body sizes and lengths.
Fully mature
Ablepharus species can reach a total length (including tail) of up to . On average, both males and females reach a total length of up to about .
[ European Copper Skink at the INaturalist]
Mannerisms and habitat
As a whole,
Ablepharus skinks are generally shy creatures. They tend to bask in the sunlight during the daytime and become more active as dusk and darkness approach.
They make their homes in rocky areas with leaf litter and little soil.
[ Ablepharus Microhabitat at the Springer Link]
Distribution
The geographic range of the common snake-eyed skink spans from southern European countries to northern African countries; also, some species are native to southeast Asia.
While most of the species in the genus prefer remaining low to the ground and in drier environments, some species may be found in damper habitats up to 2,000 m above sea level.
Diet
Analysis of the stomach contents of certain
Ablepharus species has led to the conclusion that common snake-eyed skinks are typically generalist predators.
They mainly feed on small arthropods, mollusks, and small snails.
Lifecycle
In captivity, common snake-eyed skinks are known to survive up to three and a half years; in the wild, where they are preyed upon, they live about two and a half years.
Upon reaching reproductive maturity, the female snake-eyed skink lays between two and four eggs at a time; these eggs will then take at least 9 weeks to hatch. Hatchlings typically measure around 3.5 cm long. About two years are needed for the hatchlings to reach reproductive maturity.
Species
There are 19 species in the genus Ablepharus which are recognized as being valid:[
]
- Found in China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan
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A. bivittatus — twin-striped skink
- Found in Azerbaijan, Turkey, south-eastern and central Armenia, Iran, and Turkmenistan
- Typically found in thorny shrubbery, grasslands, and rocky slopes
[ Ablepharus bivittatus at the IUCN Redlist]
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A. budaki — Budak's snake-eyed skink
- Found in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus
- Typically inhabits leaf litter, woodlands, shrubbery, and forests in humid areas
[ Ablepharus budaki at the IUCN Redlist]
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A. chernovi — Chernov's skink
- Found in Syria, Turkey, and Armenia
- Typically, they are found hiding under leaf litter and small stones in open areas with little shrubbery or forestation. Some may also be found on some of the gentler slopes on some mountain ranges.
[ Ablepharus chernovi at the IUCN Redlist]
- Found in Tajikistan, India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
[ Ablepharus darvazi at the Study Room ]
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A. deserti — desert lidless skink
- Found in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan
- Generally observed in desert lands and dry slopes with several different types of angiosperms around 2,000 m above sea level
[ Ablepharus desert at the IUCN Redlist]
- Found in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan
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A. grayanus — minor snake-eyed skink
- Found in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Turkmenistan
- Found in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, Pakistan, India, Nepal
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A. kitaibelii — European snake-eyed skink
- Found in southern Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary, Eastern Croatia, Albania, Greece, southern Romania, Macedonia, and Turkey
- Inhabits arid regions containing meadows, scrubland, and woodland clearings, as well as hilly areas
[ European copper skink at the IUCN Redlist]
- Found in Tibet (China), North India, western Nepal, and northern Pakistan.
-
A. lindbergi — Lindberg’s snake-eyed skink (sometimes A. bivittatus lindbergi )
- Found in western Afghanistan
[ Ablepharus lindbergi at the Reptile Database]
- Found in Nepal.
- Found in Nepal.
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A. pannonicus — Asian snake-eyed skink
- Found in the United Arab Emirates, eastern Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Afghanistan, Caucasus, northwestern India, southwestern Tajikistan, southern Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and western Azerbaijan
[ Ablepharus pannonicus at the Reptile Database]
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A. rueppellii — Rüppell's snake-eyed skink
- Found in central and northern Israel, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, southern Lebanon, western and northern Jordan, and possible reported sightings in Syria and Jordan
- Inhabits more heavily forested areas with dense vegetation, prefer humid areas, especially the oases in Egypt
[ Ablepharus rueppellii at the Reptile Database]
- Found in Bangladesh (Rangpur), Bhutan, China (Tibet), India (Darjeeling, Sikkim) and Nepal.
- Found in India and Pakistan.
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Ablepharus.
Further reading
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Lichtenstein H (1823). Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der Königl. Universität zu Berlin nebst Beschreibung vieler bisher unbekannter Arten von Säugethieren, Vögeln, Amphibien und Fischen. Berlin: T. Trautwein. x + 118 pp. + one plate. ( Ablepharus, new genus, p. 103). (in German and Latin).
