Eutropis dawsoni

Eutropis dawsoni, also known commonly as Gans's grass skink and Gans's mabuya, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the southern Western Ghats, India.^[1][2]

Eutropis dawsoni
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Scinciformata
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Mabuyidae
Genus:	Eutropis
Species:	E. dawsoni
Binomial name
Eutropis dawsoni (Annandale, 1909)
Synonyms[2]
Lygosoma dawsoni Annandale, 1909 Mabuya gansi Das, 1991 Eutropis gansi — Mausfeld et al., 2002 Eutropis dawsoni — Ganesh et al., 2021

Etymology

The specific name, dawsoni, is in honor of F.W. Dawson who was Director of the Trivandrum Museum.^[2]

The specific name of the synonym, gansi, is in honor of American herpetologist Carl Gans.^[3]

Geographic range

E. dawsoni is found in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, southern India.^[2]

The type locality of the formerly recognized Eutropis gansi is "2 km NW of Muthalar Road Cross off Sengaltheri–Thalayanai road (towards Moolakasam), Kalakkad Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu State, India".^[4]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of E. dawsoni is forest, at altitudes of 20 m (66 ft) and higher.^[1]

Reproduction

The mode of reproduction of E. dawsoni is unknown.^[2]