West Canary Skink
Northern Kanarenskink ( Chalcides viridanus )
The Northern Kanarenskink ( Chalcides viridanus ) is a lizard of the family of skinks.
Features
The head-body length is up 8.9 inches, the overall length usually to 15, rarely up to 18 centimeters. The head is small and is only slightly away from the body. The body shape is cylindrical, the body cross-section is round. The four legs are strong and each have 5 toes on. The species has a roundish to oval and large eardrum. The back is olive brown or coppery to golden colored, it can sometimes also be very dark or almost black. Furthermore, the back has a to the slow-worm ( Anguis fragilis ) reminiscent shed luster. Small bright spots are ordered on the back in several longitudinal rows. These spots often have a black border. Throat, sides of the body and also usually the belly are black. But there are also copies with gray belly. Between males and females there is little difference. The tails of pups are striking light blue to turquoise. Even in adult animals from the south of Tenerife, the tails are so colored as they are dark in animals from the north.
Occurrence
The Northern Kanarenskink is endemic to the Canary Island of Tenerife and the northern small rocky islets Roque de Garachico Roque de Dentro Anaga and Roque Fuera de Anaga. The species is found from sea level to altitudes of 2300 meters above sea level. There are also a treasure message from 2800 meters above sea level which is, however, doubted. Most of Northern Kanarenskink lives in deeper to middle layers below 1200 meters. Habitats of the species are open and semi-open, exposed to the sun and provide good opportunities to hide. There are colonized within cities, for example, grassy and slightly verbuschte slopes, unverfugte walls, fields, banana plantations and even gardens and parks. Contrast, are avoided the closed pine and laurel forests.
Way of life
The breeding season lasts from April to September. Copulation lasts about 10 to 15 seconds. From July, the females bring 2-5 pups. For slow moving or climbing is the way one of their legs, with rapid flight but it moves away wriggling while the legs are applied to the body. The Northern Kanarenskink feeds primarily on various arthropods and their larvae, such as woodlice, millipedes, spiders and insects such as bugs, beetles or caterpillars of butterflies. Presumably, the animals eat in addition also vegetable food such as ripe fruit. As predators and domestic cats are Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ssp. Canariensis), Raven ( Corvus corax canariensis ssp. ) Known.
System
Previously, the two subspecies Chalcides viridanus ssp. viridianus and Chalcides viridanus ssp. coeruleopunctatus distinguished. Due to genetic investigations latter was elevated to the species rank recently as Southern Kanarenskink ( Chalcides coeruleopunctatus ).