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Sphenomorphus bignelli

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Sphenomorphus bignelli
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Sphenomorphus
Species:
S. bignelli
Binomial name
Sphenomorphus bignelli
Schmidt, 1932

Sphenomorphus bignelli is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Solomon Islands.[2]

Etymology

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The specific name, bignelli, is in honor of Charles Robert Bignell (1892–1964), who was a planter in the Solomon Islands.[3]

Habitat

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The preferred natural habitat of S. bignelli is forest, at altitudes of 150–1,500 m (490–4,920 ft).[1]

Description

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A small species for its genus, S. bignelli is dark reddish brown dorsally, and it is pale yellow ventrally. The holotype has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 3.3 cm (1.3 in) and a total length of 6.8 cm (2.7 in).[4]

Behavior

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S. bignelli is diurnal and terrestrial. It is not fossorial, but does hide in leaf litter and under fallen logs.[1]

Diet

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S. bignelli preys upon insects and their larvae.[1]

Reproduction

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The mode of reproduction of S. bignelli is unknown.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Harlow, P. (2013). "Sphenomorphus bignelli ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T196633A2468892. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T196633A2468892.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Sphenomorphus bignelli at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 22 March 2020.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sphenomorphus bignelli, p. 25).
  4. ^ Schmidt KP (1932).

Further reading

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  • McCoy M (2015). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of the Solomon Islands (pdf). Kuranda, Queensland, Australia: Michael McCoy. 137 pp.
  • Schmidt KP (1932). "Reptiles and Amphibians from the Solomon Islands". Field Museum of Natural History, Zoological Series 18 (9): 175–190. (Sphenomorphus bignelli, new species, pp. 183–184).