Proscelotes arnoldi

Proscelotes arnoldi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Proscelotes
Species:	P. arnoldi
Binomial name
	Proscelotes arnoldi; (Hewitt, 1932)[1]
Synonyms
	Sepsina arnoldi ; Hewitt, 1932; Scelotes arnoldi ; — Broadley, 1962; Proscelotes arnoldi ; — Greer, 1970 [1];

Proscelotes arnoldi, commonly known as Arnold's skink or Arnold's montane skink, is a species of lizard endemic to Africa.[1] Sometimes called a legless skink, it has tiny reduced limbs. The front limbs are very small, and both fore-limbs and hind-limbs have reduced function and appear to be vestigial attachments for its lifestyle and habitat.

Etymology

The specific name, arnoldi, is in honor of entomologist George Arnold (1881-1962) of the National Museum in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.[2]

Description

P. arnoldi is a tiny, slender skink, 12–18 cm (4.7–7.1 in) long, and up to 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) in diameter, with a short body compared to the long, comparatively thick tail. Its body is brown, but each scale has a dark metallic central spot so it has a shiny appearance. The belly is pale pink in juveniles to salmon-orange in adults.[3]

Geographic range and behaviour

Arnold's skink is found in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe in grasslands and forest and particularly the margins between habitats (like stream banks). This small skink lives in tussock or hamper type mountain grass and moss-beds hiding under stones and logs. It is not easily seen, but it's relatively easy to catch.

Reproduction

P. arnoldii may lay eggs or give birth to live young. Some females have been found containing 4-5 eggs, while others have been found containing 5-6 embryos.[4]

gollark: And value that over actual money.

gollark: Which I suppose can make some sense if you assume that it's "rational" in that people... like surprises, or something, but...

gollark: People *play the lottery*, too.

gollark: People somehow can't accept positive-sum games.

gollark: > A core proposition in economics is that voluntary exchanges benefit both parties. We show that people often deny the mutually beneficial nature of exchange, instead espousing the belief that one or both parties fail to benefit from the exchange. Across 4 studies (and 7 further studies in the Supplementary Materials), participants read about simple exchanges of goods and services, judging whether each party to the transaction was better off or worse off afterwards. These studies revealed that win–win denial is pervasive, with buyers consistently seen as less likely to benefit from transactions than sellers. Several potential psychological mechanisms underlying win–win denial are considered, with the most important influences being mercantilist theories of value (confusing wealth for money) and naïve realism (failing to observe that people do not arbitrarily enter exchanges). We argue that these results have widespread implications for politics and society.

References

"Proscelotes arnoldi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
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. (Proscelotes arnoldi, pp. 11-12).
Branch, Bill (1988). Bill Branch's Field Guide to the Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik. 328 pp. ISBN 978-0869776414.
Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Proscelotes arnoldi, p. 139 + Plate 51).