Ristella guentheri

Ristella guentheri, commonly known as Günther's ristella and Gunther's cat skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to India.

Ristella guentheri
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Ristella
Species:	R. guentheri
Binomial name
Ristella guentheri Boulenger, 1887

Etymology

The specific name, guentheri, is in honor of German-British herpetologist Albert Günther.^[2]

Geographic range

R. guentheri is found in India, in Madurai district, Tenmalai, Travancore, and the Anaimalai Hills.^[3]

The type locality is "Madura, Sirimallay Hills"^[4] (= Sirumalai Hills, Madurai district).

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of R. guentheri is forest, at altitudes of 1,000–1,800 m (3,300–5,900 ft).^[1]

Description

R. guentheri may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 3.9 cm (1.5 in). It has 22 or 24 scales around the middle of the body. It is reddish brown dorsally, and whitish ventrally.^[4]

Reproduction

R. guentheri is oviparous.^[3]

References

1. Srinivasulu, C.; Srinivasulu, B. (2013). "Ristella guentheri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T194123A2301527. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T194123A2301527.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
2. Beolens, Bo;Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Ristella guentheri, pp. 110-111).
3. Species Ristella guentheri at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
4. Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ, Gerrhosauridæ, Scincidæ, Anelytropsidæ, Dibamidæ, Chamaeleontidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I- XL. (Ristella guentheri, new species, p. 358 + Plate XXIX, Figures 3, 3a).

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Ristella guentheri, p. 216).
• Das I (1997). "Checklist of the Reptiles of India, with English common names". Hamadryad 22 (1): 32–45.
• Palot MJ (2015). "A checklist of reptiles of Kerala, India". Journal of Threatened Taxa 7 (13): 8010–8022.
• Smith MA (1935). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. (Ristella guentheri, p. 332).