First report of Eutropis innotata (Blanford, 1870) (Reptilia: Scincidae) from Nallamalai Hills, Andhra Pradesh, India
K.Thulsi Rao 1, S.M. Maqsood Javed 2, 4 & C. Srinivasulu 3
1 Eco-Research and Monitoring
Laboratories, Nagarjunasagar SrisailamTiger Reserve, Sundipenta, Kurnool District, Andhra
Pradesh 518102, India
2 WWF-India, Andhra
Pradesh State Office, 818, Castle Hills, Near NMDC, VijaynagarColony, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500057, India
3 Wildlife Biology
Section, Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500007, India
Email: 4 javedwwf2007@gmail.com (corresponding author)
Date
of publication (online): 26 January 2010
Date of publication
(print): 26 January 2010
ISSN 0974-7907
(online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Editor: S. Bhupathy
Manuscript
details:
Ms # o2087
Received 23
October 2008
Final received
05 January 2010
Finally accepted
09 January 2010
Citation: Rao, K.T., S.M.M. Javed & C. Srinivasulu (2010). First report of Eutropis innotata (Blanford,
1870) (Reptilia: Scincidae)
from Nallamalai Hills, Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 2(1): 666-669.
Copyright: © K. Thulsi Rao, S.M. Maqsood Javed & C. Srinivasulu 2010. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes,
reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and
the source of publication.
Acknowledgments:The authors are very much thankful to ShriK.S. Rao, IFS, Prl. Chief
Conservator of Forests, Shri Hitesh Malhotra, IFS, Prl. Chief
Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, ShriSunil Kumar, IFS, Addl. Prl. Chief Conservator of
Forest (Wildlife) and Shri A.K. Nayak,
IFS, Conservator of Forests & Field Director, Nagarjunasagar-SrisailamTiger Reserve for constant encouragement and sustained support. We are also grateful to Dr. Rajesh Gopal, IFS, Inspector General of Forests, Ministry of
Environment and Forests for funding support and encouragements. SMMJ expresses
gratitude to Shri Anil Kumar V. Epur,
Chairman, WWF-AP State Committee, Shri Ravi Singh, SG
& CEO, WWF-India, New Delhi and Ms. Farida Tampal, State Director and National Coordinator, EPCG,
WWF-India, AP State Office, Hyderabad for constant support and encouragement.
CS acknowledges CSIR, New Delhi for funding and Head, Department of Zoology, Osmania University, Hyderabad for encouragement. We also
thank Dr. Hemant V. Ghate,
Modern College, Pune and Dr. Aaron M. Bauer,
Villanova University, USA for helping in identification and constructive
suggestions.
The
genus Mabuya Fitzinger,
1826 was recently revised by Mausfeld et al. (2002)
and suggested partitioning the genus into several genera, allocating the
Asian species to Eutropis Fitzinger, 1843. In
India, the genus Eutropis is represented by 18
species (Das 1996; Sharma 2002). Out of
these, only four species [excluding Mabuya aurata (Linnaeus, 1758) = Trachylepis aurata aurata (Linnaeus,
1758) (Bauer, 2003)], namely, Eutropis bibronii (Gray, 1839); Eutropis dissimilis (Hallowell, 1857); Eutropis innotata (Blanford, 1870); Eutropis novemcarinata (Anderson, 1871) are known from
India to possess, more or less, transparent disc on the lower eye lid. In Andhra Pradesh, the genus is represented
by Eutropis carinata,Eutropis maculariaand Eutropis nagarjuni(Sanyal et al. 1993; Sharma 2002; Raoet al. 2005; Srinivasulu & Das 2008). During 2002-2004 faunal surveys, we recorded
a total of 48 species of reptiles including three known species of skinks (E.carinata, E. maculariaand E. nagarjuni) from NallamalaiHills, Andhra Pradesh (Rao et al. 2005; Srinivasulu et al. 2005). However, one of the specimens (ERMR-45a = RS-4B, Images 1 & 2)
belonging to the genus Eutropis collected from
the Chinnamanthanala (15053’N & 78046’E), Gundla Brahmeswaram MettaSanctuary (GBM), Prakasam District (Image 1) on 02
May 2002 remained unidentified. In 2008
we examined this specimen deposited at the Ecological Research and Monitoring
Laboratories (ERM Labs), Sundipenta and identified it
as Eutropis innotata(Blanford, 1870). It is a rare, Data Deficient and endemic species to central India (Molur & Walker 1998; Sharma 2002) and is known from
only a few localities (Sharma 2002; Chandra & Gajbe2005). Through this paper, we report the
occurrence of Eutropis innotatain the Nallamalai Hills, Eastern Ghats, Andhra
Pradesh and put on record range extension of this species further south in
peninsular India.
Diagnosis:Eutropis innotata distinctly
differs from other congeneric species from India as
follows: Supranasals separated (vs. separated
or just touching one another in E. bibronii;
in contact with one another in E. dissimilis andE. novemcarinata); a single pair of smooth nuchals present (vs. two pairs of multi-keeled in E.bibronii; no proper nuchalsin E. dissimilis); no postnasal (vs. a
postnasal present in E. bibronii); temporal
scales unkeeled and smooth (vs. scales keeled
in E. bibronii, E. dissimilis and E. novemcarinata); three or four
short, blunt or less pointed lobules anteriorly (vs.
2 or 3 long, pointed in E. bibronii and E. novemcarinata; 3 or 4 long, pointed in E. dissimilis); dorsal scales with five feeble keels (vs.5 to 7 sharp keels in E. bibronii; 2 or 3
strong keels in E. dissimilis; 7 to 11 sharp
keels in E. novemcarinata); 32 to 34 scales
round the body (vs. 28 to 30 scales in E. bibronii;
34 to 38 scales in E. dissimilis); 17 or 18
feebly keeled lamellae beneath the IV toe (vs. 14 to 20 smooth or feebly
keeled lamellae in E. bibronii; 12 to 16
smoothly keeled lamellae in E. dissimilis and
18 to 21 obtusely keeled lamellae in E. novemcarinata)
(Boulenger 1890; Smith 1935; Sharma 2002).
Description:Snout
short, obtuse; nostril pierced behind the vertical of the suture between the rostral and the first labial; supranasalsseparated (Images 9 & 10); postnasal absent (Image 7); prefrontalsjust touching one another (Images 9 & 10); anterior lorealhigher than long, about half the size of the posterior (Image 7); lower eyelid
with an undivided transparent disc (Image 8); fronto-nasal
a little broader than long in contact with the rostraland frontal; frontal a little shorter than the frontoparietalsand interparietal together, in contact with the
second supraocular only (Image 10); four supraoculars, second largest (Image 10); six supraciliaries; frontoparietalsdistinct, slightly shorter than the interparietal,
which entirely separates the parietals; a pair of unkeeled nuchals present (Image 4 & 11); temporal scales unkeeled (Image 6); ear opening triangular from one angle
and subcircular from other, a little larger than a
lateral scale, with four short, blunt lobules anteriorly(Image 5 & 6); dorsal scales with three prominent and two less prominent
feeble keels (quinquecarinate) (Image 13 & 13a);
33 scales round the mid body, dorsal scales the largest; digits long, with
feebly keeled lamellae and the fourth toe with 17 lamellae (Image 12). The specimen measured 46mm in snout-vent and
69mm in tail length (Image 2 & 3).
Overallcolouration of the skink was light golden brown,
dorsal side without vertebral markings or streaks. A black dorso-lateral
stripe between the eyes and base of the tail present, and the same was bordered
by white line, which gradually faded posteriorly. Ventrum of the
specimen was yellowish-white.
The
present specimen was collected from dry leaf litter, and the area had mixed dry
deciduous forest with patches of scrubs (Champion & Seth 1968). The area experiences greater variations in
temperature; maximum of 450C during May and 80C in December, and the locality receives about
900-1000 mm rainfall annually. Blanford (1870) discovered Euprepes innotatus (= Eutropis innotata) from Penganga Valley (Yavatmal District, Maharashtra) in south east Berar
region. Boulenger(1887) mentioned that Blanford collected specimen of Mabuia innotata (= Eutropis innotata)
from Godavari Valley, central India (part of Maharashtra). Later, he reported its occurrence from
Penganga Valley (now in Yavatmal District,
Maharashtra) in south east Berar region. Smith (1935) and Sharma (2002) reported Mabuya innotata (= Eutropis innotata) from south east Berar, Koba (= Korba) and Bilaspur in central province Madhya Pradesh (now
Chhattisgarh), Maharashtra.
Hitherto
this is the first and the only specimen of Eutropis innotata (Blanford1870) collected from Andhra Pradesh. The
diagnosis of our specimen matches well with the description provided by Boulenger (1890), Smith (1935), and Sharma (2002).
The
distinguishing characters and key to the known species
(from peninsular India) of the genus Eutropishaving lower eyelid with undivided, more or less, transparent disc is as given
below:
28 to 30 scales
round the mid-body; dorsals with 5 to 7 keels ......................................................………E. bibronii (Gray, 1839).
34 to 38 scales
round the mid body: dorsals with 2 or 3 strong keels
…….................................... E. dissimilis (Hallowell, 1857).
32 to 34 scales
round the mid body; dorsals feebly quinquecarinate …….........……... E. innotata (Blanford, 1870).
32 to 34 scales
round the mid body; dorsals with 7 to 11 keels
….................................……. E. novemcarinata (Anderson, 1871).
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