Added 8 September 2002. Last updated 18 March 2014: added details for R. guentheri and R. rurki and updated R. beddomii and R. travancorica and Bibliography.

The Scincidae

Ristella

Cat Skinks

Introduction

The small genus Ristella is confined to hilly areas of southern India. It is unique among skinks in that the four species can completely retract their claws. They do this into a sheath formed by a large compressed scale. The genus is also characterised by four toes on the front limbs and five on the rear limbs.

Boulenger gives the following characteristics for the genus: palatine and pterygoid bones in contact on the median line of the palate, which is toothless; palatine notch small, far behind, corresponding to the posterior notch of the tongue; teeth conical; eyelids well developed, scaly; ear opening distinct; nostril pierced in a single nasal; no supranasals; prefrontals small or coalesced; frontoparietals and interparietal distinct; limbs well developed, anterior limbs with four, posterior limbs with five, digits; claws completely retractile in a large compressed sheath formed of one large scale cleft inferiorly.

I am not aware of these skinks being kept in captivity on a regular basis if at all.

R. beddomii, Beddome's Cat Skink

R. guentheri

R. rurki

B. travancorica, Travancore Cat Skink

 

 

Scientific Name

Common Name

Distribution

Size

Notes

Ristella

R. beddomii

Beddome's Cat Skink

India (Tenmalai, Travancore, Sharavati River, N Kanara district, Parambikulam)

SVL 4cm

Terrestrial and semifossorial. Scalation details: frontonasal broader than long, widely separating the nasals; single azygous prefrontal, nearly as large as the frontonasal; frontal shorter than frontoparietals and interparietal together; 5 supraoculars, of which 3 anterior in contact with frontal; 10 supraciliaries; parietals form a suture behind interparietal; no nuchals; 4th, 5th and 6th supralabials below the eye, from which they are separated by a series of small scales; 26 scale rows at midbody; lateral scales a little smaller than dorsals or ventrals; dorsals sharply bicarinate; preanal scales feebly enlarged or not at all. Other: head small; snout short, obtuse; ear opening larger than nostril; body shorter than in other Ristella, so that limbs meet or slightly overlap when adpressed; 3rd and 4th toes equal; tail cylindrical, Coloration: dorsally reddish with brown on the edges or centres of scales; sides with yellow spots and indistinct dark lines; ventrally cream. Reproduction: up to 3 eggs laid per clutch during southwestern monsoons. [SOURCES: Boulenger, Das]

R. guentheri

?

India (Madura district, Tenmalai, Travancore, Anaimalai Hills)

TL 9¾cm

Scalation details: frontonasal broader than long, widely separating the nasals; single azygous prefrontal, nearly as wide as the frontonasal; frontal shorter than frontoparietals and interparietal together; 5 supraoculars, of which 3 anterior in contact with frontal; 10 supraciliaries; parietals form a suture behind interparietal; no nuchals; 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th supralabials below the eye, from which they are separated by a series of small scales; 22-24 scale rows at midbody; lateral scales a little smaller than dorsals or ventrals; dorsals sharply bicarinate; preanal scales feebly enlarged or not at all. Other: head small; snout short, obtuse; ear opening little larger than nostril; limbs short, widely separated when adpressed; 3rd and 4th toes equal; tail cylindrical, one and a half to one and two thirds length of SVL. Coloration: dorsally reddish-brown; dark brown lines or minute yellowish dots along scale rows; sides dark brown, dotted with yellowish or with dark brown longitudinal band; lower surfaces whitish; young with 3 light, dark-edged dorsal streaks. [SOURCE: Boulenger]

R. rurki

?

India (Anaimalai Hills, Travancore and Palni Hills)

TL 11cm

Scalation details: frontonasal broader than long, widely separating the nasals; prefrontals present, widely separated; frontal shorter than frontoparietals and interparietal together; 5 supraoculars, of which 3 anterior in contact with frontal; 10 supraciliaries; parietals form a suture behind interparietal; no nuchals; 3rd, 4th and 5th supralabials below the eye, from which they are separated by a series of small scales; 26 scale rows at midbody; lateral scales a little smaller than dorsals or ventrals; dorsals and laterals feebly bi- or tricarinate; preanal scales feebly enlarged or not at all. Other: head small; snout short, obtuse; ear opening much larger than nostril; limbs short, widely separated when adpressed; 3rd and 4th toes equal; tail cylindrical, one and a half to one and two thirds length of SVL. Coloration: dorsally reddish-brown; each dorsal scale with small blackish spot or shaft that may join up to form 6 longitudinal lines; sides blackish brown, dotted with whitish; lower surfaces whitish; throat and tail usually brown-spotted. [SOURCE: Boulenger]

R. travancorica

Travancore Cat Skink

India (Western Ghats), Tinnevelly Hills

SVL 4cm

Terrestrial and semifossorial. Scalation details: frontonasal broader than long, widely separating the nasals; prefrontals present, widely separated; frontal shorter than frontoparietals and interparietal together; 5 supraoculars, of which 3 anterior in contact with frontal; 10 supraciliaries; parietals form a suture behind interparietal; no nuchals; 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th supralabials below the eye, from which they are separated by a series of small scales; 22-26 scale rows at midbody; lateral scales a little smaller than dorsals or ventrals; dorsal sharply bicarinate; preanal scales feebly enlarged or not at all. Other: head small; snout short, obtuse; ear opening not or only slightly larger than nostril; limbs short, widely separated when adpressed; 3rd and 4th toes equal; tail cylindrical, one and a half to one and two thirds length of SVL. Coloration: dorsally reddish with brown on the edges or centres of scales; sides may have yellow spots or dark stripe; ventrally cream. Reproduction: up to 2 eggs laid per clutch during southwestern monsoons. [SOURCES: Boulenger, Das]

Bibliography



A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of India, Indraneil Das, New Holland UK, 2008. Handy pocket-sized guide to about half of India's reptile species.

Animal Life Encyclopedia Volume 6: Reptiles, Grzimek,1975.

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