Nessia gansi

Nessia gansi
Conservation status
	; Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Nessia
Species:	N. gansi
Binomial name
	Nessia gansi; Batuwita & Edirisinghe, 2017

Nessia gansi, also known commonly as Gans's three-toed snake skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.

Habitat and distribution

N. gansi is restricted to low-land wet zones up to 100 m (330 ft).^{[citation needed]} Known localities include Ambalangoda, Kanneliya Forest Reserve, Kottawa, Mount Rumaswala,^[2] Imaduwa and Kottawa.^{[citation needed]}

Description

N. gansi has the following characters. The midbody scales are in 22-26 rows. The ventral scales number 103-114. There are 93-105 paravertebral dorsal scales.^[2] The snout is acutely pointed.^{[citation needed]} There are four limbs, and each limb has three digits.^[2] The dorsum is dark brown, with each dorsal scale having a distinct posterior dark spot, and the venter is dusky brown.^{[citation needed]}

Ecology

N. gansi prefers damp forests or home gardens. In home gardens, it is found in loose soil, in leaf debris, close to rubbish heaps.^[1]

Reproduction

N. gansi is oviparous.^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, gansi, is in honour of American herpetologist Carl Gans.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Ukuwela K, Karunarathna S (2021). "Nessia gansi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T149407276A149407456.en. Accessed on 26 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Species Nessia gansi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.