Western Three-toed Skink

Western skink ( Chalcides striatus)

The Western skink ( Chalcides striatus ) is a reptile of the family of skinks. The species was performed earlier as a subspecies of the Italian three-toed skink ( Chalcides chalcides ).

Features

The up to 35 to 48 cm long Western skink is built like a snake. Arms and legs are greatly reduced, each carrying three fingers or toes and have during locomotion hardly a function. The species is shiny and bronze colors, yellowish brown, olivaceous or gray. The Western skink different from their Italian relatives by the larger number ( 9-13 ) of dark longitudinal stripes and by the second finger is as long as the third in the Western skink, while it is longer in the Italian skink.

Occurrence

The distribution area covers most of the Iberian Peninsula, with the exception of some regions in the east ( southern Catalonia, Valencia ), South of France and the far west of Liguria. The Western skink prefers sandy, grassy slopes, avoiding forests and is found at altitudes up to 1800 meters.