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Rainbow Skink (female)

Trachylepis margaritifer

Photo by Tiz
Published on Project Noah
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-26.1494, 31.9818

Field Notes

Description:

I like the pupil on this lizard. It is a bit uneven. Perhaps that is common among lizards, I dont know much about them :) This one was quite big, 12-15 cm from head to tail.

Habitat:

It was spotted next to a stone house at the entrance/exit of Mlawula Nature reserve. Dry season

Notes:

Female http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/32693067 (two weeks between the two spottings, dry season, 7 km between the places of the findings)
Mabuya quinquetaeniata margaritifera, formerly a subspecies of Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (the Five-lined Mabuya, also known as the Rainbow Skink), was elevated to full species in 1998 and named Trachylepis margaritifera. (wikipedia)

Species ID Suggestions

rainbow skink

Trachylepis margaritifer

Reference Link
Scott Frazier
1

Comments (5)
Tiz
S Frazier, your reseach helped a lot. Thanks for taking the time! Sometimes when you are stuck, a second opinion is all that is needed! I will update the spottings and add male and female to them as well.
Scott Frazier
Hello. I am not an expert on this species but your link looks identical AND my suggestion link (includes your link) answers your question about color variation I think. Note also that accounting for changes in naming, Trachylepis quinquetaeniata used to contain Trachylepis margaritifer as a subspecies. They are both known as "rainbow skink". "Mabuya quinquetaeniata margaritifera, formerly a subspecies of Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (the Five-lined Mabuya, also known as the Rainbow Skink), was elevated to full species in 1998 and named Trachylepis margaritifera." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trachylepis_margaritifera

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Reptiles of the World
Mission
Mission WILD
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project
Mission
Mlawula Nature Reserve
Photographed
PublishedJuly 31, 2013

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