Scincella gemmingeri

Scincella gemmingeri, commonly known as the forest ground skink, Cope's forest ground skink, and la escíncela de bosque de Cope in Mexican Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Mexico.

Scincella gemmingeri
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Scinciformata
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Sphenomorphidae
Genus:	Scincella
Species:	S. gemmingeri
Binomial name
Scincella gemmingeri (Cope, 1864)
Synonyms[2]
Oligosoma gemmingeri Cope, 1864 Lygosoma (Mocoa) gemmingeri — Bocourt, 1881 Lygosoma laterale (part) — Boulenger, 1887 Leiolopisma gemmingeri — Taylor, 1937 Scincella gemmingeri — H.M. Smith & Taylor, 1950

Etymology

The specific name, gemmingeri, is in honor of German coleopterist Max Gemminger (1820–1887).^[3]

Geographic range

S. gemmingeri is found in the coastal regions of the Mexican state of Veracruz and various surrounding states.^[1]

Habitat

As its common name implies, the forest ground skink occurs primarily in forests, especially rainforests, oak forests, cloud forests, and tropical evergreen forests, at altitudes of 200–2,000 m (660–6,560 ft), although it is also sometimes found on pastureland.^[1]

Conservation status

S. gemmingeri faced no major threats as of 2020.^[1]

Reproduction

S. gemmingeri is ovoviparous.^[2]

Description

Like all members of the genus Scincella, S. gemmingeri is long and cylindrical, with short limbs. Its color is dark gray, and it has a dark stripe originating at the snout and running dorsolaterally along its body. Its maximum snout-vent length (SVL) is about 45 mm (1.8 in).^{[citation needed]}