Ristella rurkii

Ristella rurkii, commonly known as Rurk's ristella, is a species of skink endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. It is a small, insectivorous, diurnal skink found in shola grasslands and rainforests of hills ranges in parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of India.

Ristella rurkii
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Scinciformata
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Sphenomorphidae
Genus:	Ristella
Species:	R. rurkii
Binomial name
Ristella rurkii Gray, 1839
Synonyms
Ristella rurkii Gray, 1839 Ateuchosaurus travancoricus Beddome, 1870 (part) Ristella malabarica Stoliczka, 1871 Ristella rurki [sic] — M.A. Smith, 1935 Ristella rurkii — Das, 1996[2]

Etymology

The specific name, rurkii, is in honor of "Dr. Rurk" who collected the type specimen.^[3]

Geographic range

R. rurkii is found in South India, in the Anaimalai Hills, High Ranges, Travancore, and the Palni Hills, of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is endemic to rainforests south of Palghat Gap.