Subdoluseps pruthi

Subdoluseps pruthi, known commonly as Pruthi's skink or Pruthi's supple skink, is a species of diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous, lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the southern part of the Eastern Ghats in South India. The species was first described based on the type specimen from Chitteri hills in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. Further surveys reveal the presence of similar-looking skinks in nearby hill ranges. Though described in 1977, the holotype was collected in 1929, and yet very little is known or has been published about this species.

Subdoluseps pruthi
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Subdoluseps
Species:	S. pruthi
Binomial name
Subdoluseps pruthi (Sharma, 1977)
Synonyms[2]
Riopa pruthi Sharma, 1977 Lygosoma pruthi — Das, 1996 Subdoluseps pruthi — Freitas et al., 2019 Dravidoseps pruthi — Agarwal et al., 2024

Etymology

The specific name, pruthi, is in honor of Indian entomologist Hem Singh Pruthi (1897–1969), who collected the holotype from Chitteri Hills of central Tamil Nadu.^[3]

Geographic range

S. pruthi is found in the southern part of the Eastern Ghats in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, in South India. This species has been sighted in other ranges of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu. Further work is necessary to fully chart its geographic range.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of S. pruthi is forest, at altitudes around 250 m (820 ft).^[1]

Reproduction

S. pruthi is viviparous. ^[4]