Plestiodon chinensis, the Chinese blue-tailed skink, is a species of lizard which is found in China, western Taiwan, and northern Vietnam.[1][2]
| Plestiodon chinensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Plestiodon |
| Species: | P. chinensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Plestiodon chinensis (JE Gray, 1838)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Entomology edit
P. chinensis was named after the skink's home in China.[2]
Subspecies edit
There are four subspecies (though not all with universal recognition[3]):[2]
- Plestiodon chinensis chinensis (Gray, 1838) – China, Vietnam
- Plestiodon chinensis daishanensis (Mao, 1983) – Zhoushan Islands, China
- Plestiodon chinensis formosensis Van Denburgh, 1912 – Taiwan
- Plestiodon chinensis pulcher Duméril & Bibron, 1839 – China
Plestiodon chinensis formosensis from eastern Taiwan were in 2017 found to be identical with Plestiodon chinensis leucostictus, now recognized as Plestiodon leucostictus.[3]
Description edit
The Chinese blue-tailed skink has an average snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 13 cm, with a total length of 35 cm. It is large and stout, with a broad head and a pale white underside. As juveniles mature, their body undergoes a change in color from a dark brown with three light dorsal stripes and a blue tail to a fully mature brownish green, complete with reddish spots on the flanks. [2]
References edit
- ^ a b Nguyen, T.Q.; Yang, J.; Shang, G. (2019). "Plestiodon chinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T104764162A104853675. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T104764162A104853675.en. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Plestiodon chinensis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 3 September 2023.
- ^ a b c Kurita, Kazuki; Nakamura, Yukiko; Okamoto, Taku; Lin, Si-Min & Hikida, Tsutomu (2017). "Taxonomic reassessment of two subspecies of Chinese skink in Taiwan based on morphological and molecular investigations (Squamata, Scincidae)". ZooKeys. 687: 131–148. doi:10.3897/zookeys.687.12742. PMC 5672577.