Chioninia

QUICK INDEX

C. coctei, Cape Verde Giant Skink

C. delalandii

C. fogoensis

C. geisthardti

C. nicolauensis

C. spinalis

C. stangeri

C. vaillantii

Scientific Name

Common Name

Distribution

Size

Notes

Chioninia

C. coctei

Cape Verde Giant Skink

Cape Verde Islands (Branco, Razo)

50 cm

The Cape Verde Skink is a thick-set skink with powerful limbs and strong claws. The tail is about half the length of the body. Older individuals develop thick hanging dewlaps. The lower eyelid has a transparent window. In the wild it feeds on mallow seeds and possibly also bird eggs, but captive individuals would learn to soft fruit and green leafy vegetables, becoming tame with the course of time. One keeper also reported finding his captive in the process of eating a bird. It has been observed climbing. No specimen has been found for many years, highlighting the fact that species restricted to a few islands are peculiarly vulnerable to environmental pressure - in this case, human. Scalation details: nostril pierced in posterior part of nasal, which is followed by a postnasal; supranasals in contact behind rostral; prefrontals large, forming a median suture; frontal a little shorter than frontoparietals and interparietal together, in contact with the three anterior supraoculars; 4 supraoculars, 2^nd largest; 6 supraciliaries; interparietal much narrower than frontoparietals, entirely separating parietals; pair of large nuchals; 5^th supralabial below centre of eye; ear opening a little larger than eye opening, with 3 projecting lobules anteriorly; scales very small, dorsals and laterals bicarinate, ventrals a little larger and smooth; preanal scales slightly enlarged. Dorsal scales: 106-113 rows at midbody. Osteodermal armour is less completely developed than in other skinks. Tail: cylindrical, about 50% of TL; upper caudals slightly tricarinate. Other: snout moderate, obtuse; crowns of teeth are compressed and serrated like those of the Australian Tiliqua and Egernia species. Coloration: dorsally grey with irregular white and dark brown spots: ventrally white to light grey. Reproduction: no details yet available. [SOURCES: Boulenger, Grzimek]

C. delalandii

??

Cape Verde Islands (Fogo and Brava)

102- 140mm

Scalation details (from Joger): 5 supraciliaries, 4 supraoculars, parietals fused, 46-54 scale rows at midbody. Coloration: often a dark spot in the axilla region. Description: snout rather elongate, obtusely acuminate; the shape of the head similar to that of the typical Podarcis muralis. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril behind the vertical of the suture between the rostral and the first labial; a postnasal anterior loreal usually in contact witli the first labial; supranasals in contact behind the rostral ; frontonasal broader than long; prefrontals forming a median suture; frontal pentagonal, in contact with the second, and usually also the first and third supraoculars; four supraoculars, second largest; five or six supraciliaries ; frontoparietals coalesced to a single shield; parietals and interparietal coalesced to a single subcrescentic shield, followed by a pair of nuchals ; fifth upper labial (or subocular) below the eye, not twice as large as the proximal labials, not narrowed inferiorly. Ear opening oval, about as large as the eye-opening, with three to five short pointed lobules anteriorly. Nuchal and dorsal scales mostly tricarinate, some bicarinate, the keels very distinct ; 46 to 50 scales round the middle of the body, subequal. The hind limb reaches the wrist or the elbow of the adpressed fore limb. Subdigital lamellae smooth. Tail once and one third to once and two thirds as long as head and body. Brown or bronzy olive above; a pale band on each side of the back, beginning from the supraciliary border, and edged with a series of small, more or less confluent dark brown spots ; another, narrower, pale band on each side from axilla to groin; the interspace between the two light bands on each side dark brown; flanks dotted with dark brown, sometimes even over the lower light band ; a large deep black, white-edged ocellus in the axilla; lower .surfaces yellowish white, throat usually dotted with brown. [SOURCE: Boulenger, Joger] B I

C. fogoensis

??

Cape Verde Islands

?"

The subspecies C. f. antaoensis appears to be not currently recognised. Description: snout rather elongate, obtuse; the shape of the head somewhat like that of the typical form of Podarcis muralis. The hind limb reaches the wrist or the elbow of the adpressed fore limb. Scalation details: lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril just above or behind the vertical, of the suture between the rostral and the first labial; a postnasal; anterior loreal slightly or not in contact with the first labial; supranasals in contact behind the rostral; frontonasal broader than long; prefrontals forming a median suture; frontal as long as or a little shorter than the frontoparietals and interparietal together, in contact with the second and third, or first, second, and third supraoculars; 4 supraoculars, second largest and usually touching the prefrontal; 5-6 supraciliaries; frontoparietals distinct, larger than the interparietal; parietals forming a suture behind the latter shield; a pair of nuchals, separated by one small scale; fifth and sixth upper labials (or suboculars) below the eye, the former not or but slightly larger than the latter. Ear-opening oval, about as large as the eye-opening, the anterior border simple or with a few slightly projecting granules. Dorsal scales mostly feebly bicarinate, some, here and there, tricarinate; nuchal and lateral scales very feebly tricarinate; up to 60-64 scales round the middle of the body, subequal. Subdigital lamellae smooth. Tail once and one fourth to once and two thirds as long as head and body. Coloration: olive-brown above, variegated with darker and lighter ; three unspotted bands along the back; lower surfaces yellowish, throat and chest marbled with grey-brown. [SOURCE: Boulenger, Joger] B I

C. f. fogoensis

Fogo

C. f. antaoensis

Sto Antao

C. geisthardti

??

Cape Verde Islands (Sto Antao)

162mm

Now considered part of C. fogoensis instead. See Reptile Database for details.

C. nicolauensis

Cape Verde Islands (Sao Nicolau)

Formerly considered a subspecies of C. fogoensis.

C. spinalis

??

Cape Verde Islands

4½-5" TL approx 14.5 cm, SVL approx 6 cm

At times considered synonymous with C. stangeri. Description: snout short, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril behind the vertical of the suture between the rostral and the first labial; a postnasal; anterior loreal usually in contact with the first labial; supranasals in contact behind the rostral; frontonasal broader than long; prefrontals in contact with their inner angles or forming a short suture; frontal as long as frontoparietals and interparietals together, in contact with the second and third, or first, second, and third supraoculars; four supraoculars, second largest; four or five supraciliaries; frontoparietals distinct, larger than the interparietal; parietals forming a suture behind the latter shield; a pair of nuchals; fifth or sixth upper labial largest and below the eye. Ear-opening oval, nearly as large as the eye, with a few slightly projecting granules on the anterior border. Nuchal and dorsal scales strongly tricarinate; 36-38 scales round the middle of the body, subequal: The hind limb reaches the wrist or the elbow of the adpressed fore limb. Subdigital lamellae smooth. Tail about once and a half the length of head and body. Coloration: olive above, with or without small black spots; a more or less distinct black vertebral line and a pale streak on each side of the back from the supraciliary edge to the base of the tail; below this light streak a dark or black streak which is again edged with lighter below; sides of neck, and sometimes of body, with small white spots; white spots on the hinder side of the thighs; lower parts yellowish white. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1906]

C. s. spinalis

Fogo

Scalation details (from Joger): 3 supraciliaries, 4 supraoculars, parietals not fused, 38-40 scale rows at midbody.

C. s. boavistensis

Boavista

C. s. maioensis

Maio

Scalation details (from Joger): 3 supraciliaries, 4 supraoculars, parietals not fused, 34-36 scale rows at midbody.

C. s. salensis

Boa Vista, Sal Rey

Scalation details (from Joger): 3-4 supraciliaries, 4 supraoculars, parietals fused, 40-44 scale rows at midbody.

C. s. santiagoensis

Santiago

C. stangeri

??

Cape Verde Islands (S. Vicente and Razo)

5-6½"

Description: snout short, obtuse. Scalation details: Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril just above or behind the vertical of the suture between the rostral and the first labial; a postnasal ; anterior loreal usually slightly in contact with the first labial; supranasals in contact behind the rostral ; frontonasal broader than long; prefrontals forming a median suture; frontal as long as or a little shorter than the frontoparietals and interparietal together, in contact with the second and third, or first, second, and third supraoculars; 4 supraoculars, second largest and usually touching the prefrontal; 4-5 supraciliaries; frontoparietals distinct, larger than the interparietal; parietals not fused, forming a suture behind the latter shield; a pair of nuchals; fifth and sixth (or sixth and seventh) upper labials below the eye, the former not or but slightly larger than the latter. Ear-opening oval, about as large as the eye opening, the anterior border simple or with a few slightly projecting granules. Nuchal and dorsal scales distinctly tricarinate; 40-48 scale rows at midbody, subequal. The limbs overlap when adpressed. Subdigital lamellae smooth. Tail about once and one third the length of the head and body. Coloration: olive-brown above, with small darker and lighter spots ; a more or less distinct lighter dorso-lateral band; a black, white-edged spot in the axilla; lower surfaces yellowish white, throat sometimes brown-spotted. [SOURCE: Boulenger, Joger] B I

C. vaillantii

Vaillant's Mabuya

Cape Verde Islands (Cima, Sao Thiago, Fogo, Rhombos)

4½-7¾"

This was the largest Cape Verdean Mabuya species [Joger] until C. coctei was assigned to the genus. Scalation details (from Joger): 5-6 supraciliaries, 4-5 supraoculars, parietals fused, 48-54 scale rows at midbody. Coloration: characteristic yellowish tip of snout, two broad lateral bands and three more slender dorsal bands. Description: head short and feebly depressed, similar to that of Lacerta agilis. Lower eyelid with an undivided transparent disk. Nostril just above or behind the vertical of the suture between the rostral and the first labial ; a postnasal ; anterior loreal in contact with the first labial; supranasals in contact behind the rostral; frontonasal broader than long; prefrontals forming a median suture; frontal pentagonal, in contact with the second and third supraoculars ; four (or three) supraoculars, the first very small and sometimes absent; six or seven supraciliaries ; frontoparietals coalesced to a single shield ; parietals and interparietal coalesced to a single subcrescentic shield, followed by a pair of nuchals ; fifth and sixth upper labials below the eye, the former not much larger than the latter. Ear opening oval, considerably larger than the eye-opening, with a few minute projecting lobules or granules anteriorly. Nuchal and dorsal scales strongly tricarinate; 54 scales round the middle of the body, subequal. The limbs overlap when adpressed. Subdigital lamellae smooth. Tail a little longer than head and body. Olive-brown above, with small darker and lighter spots, and three lighter longitudinal dorsal bands, the vertebral of which is a little narrower than the others and does not extend beyond the base of the tail; a small blackish spot in the axilla. Lower surfaces greenish grey, with more or less distinct darker variegations ; chin, and sometimes a median ventral zone, yellowish. [SOURCE: Boulenger, Joger] B I

C. v. vaillanti

C. v. xanthotis

Cape Verde Islands (Fogo)

Subspecies described in 2010: see Reptile Database for details.