Eurylepis taeniolata
Eurylepis taeniolata, the ribbon-sided skink, alpine Punjab skink, or yellow-bellied mole skink, is a species of skink found in Central Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. It is the type species of the genus Eurylepis.
Description
Diagnosis of the genus Eurylepis : Elongate, 35 or more presacral vertebrae. Limbs relatively slender, lamellae not expanded. Head somewhat conical, dorsal surface convex in lateral view, parietal bone with clear lateral indentations and supratemporal fontanelle open. Sexual dimorphism in head proportions not distinct. Scales shiny, separated by shallow sutures. Two loreals, followed by two presuboculars. Post-nasal scales present. Palpebral scales and superciliaries not separated by groove. Four or five pairs of nuchal scales, followed by several pairs of broadened mid-dorsal scales and broad row of fused mid-dorsal scales. Large medial preanal scales overlie small lateral pair. Ear lobules conspicuous, but not covering ear opening. Color pattern consists of gray-brown background, with pale, broad dorsolateral stripes, more distinct anteriorly, brown rectangular spots dominating posteriorly.
Distribution
Eurylepis taeniolata is found in Jordan, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, northeastern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, western and northern India, and southern Turkmenistan.
Subspecies
There are three subspecies: