The fire skink ( Lepidothyris fernandi), also known Common name as Fernand's skink, the Togo fire skink, and the true fire skink, is a fairly large skink, a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is known for its bright and vivid coloration. Native to tropical forests in West Africa and Central Africa, the fire skink lives fifteen to twenty years. This species is a Diurnality lizard that burrows and hides. It is relatively shy and reclusive, but may become tame in captivity.
Etymology
The specific name,
fernandi, refers to the island formerly known as Fernando Po,
[; ; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ( Lygosoma fernandi, p. 89).] which has been called
Bioko since 1979. It is known in the
Yoruba language, spoken in Western Africa, as Oloronto.
Taxonomy
Historically, the fire skink has been placed in several different
Genus and was until recently placed in
Riopa together with several skinks from southeast Asia. While these are superficially similar to the African fire skink, they are closer to some other Asian skinks, resulting in their move to
Mochlus. The fire skink is not closely related to other skinks and belongs to the genus
Mochlus.
However, a review of the taxonomy of the fire skink did reveal that it, as traditionally defined, actually consists of three separate species. This essentially limits true
M. fernandi to tropical West Africa and westernmost Central Africa, while population in Central and East Africa are
Mochlus hinkeli and
Mochlus striatus.
Distribution
Mochlus fernandi occurs in the humid forest zone of southern West and Central Africa, from
Guinea and
Sierra Leone to
Gabon[
]
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies:[
]
-
Mochlus fernandi fernandi – western Central Africa and Nigeria
-
Mochlus fernandi harlani – West Africa
Nota bene: A Trinomen in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Mochlus.
Description
The fire skink is a fairly large species of skink, reaching up to in total length (including tail).[ The most notable aspect of the fire skink's appearance is its vivid, bright colors. Smooth, gold scales adorn the fire skink's back, while red and black bars set against a silver background line its sides. The fire skink does not display obvious sexual dimorphism, which makes it difficult to sex. Males are, in general, bulkier than females with a slightly flatter head and wider jaws.]
Reproduction
The fire skink is oviparous. An adult female will generally lay a clutch of five to nine eggs after mating. Fire skink eggs take forty to fifty days to hatch when incubated at a temperature of .
Diet
M. fernandi has a large appetite, and it is mainly insectivorous.[ The African fire skink. Reptiles Magazine.]
In captivity
The fire skink is kept as a pet. Many specimens available for sale are wild-caught, but captive-bred skinks are available. The fire skink requires a larger tank with plenty of horizontal space, as well as some vertical space for its occasional tendency to climb. A aquarium is suitable for one adult. The fire skink is not social and should be kept alone.[
]
External links
Further reading
-
Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. ( Lygosoma fernandi, pp. 304–305).
-
Burton E (1836). "A Saurian Reptile of the family Scincidæ and of the genus Tiliqua, Gray". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1836: 62. ( Tiliqua fernandi, new species). (in English and Latin).
-
Hallowell E (1845). "Description of New Species of African Reptiles". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 2: 169–172. ( Plestiodon harlani, new species, p. 170).
