Scincella gemmingeri
Introduction '''''Scincella gemmingeri''''', commonly known as the '''forest ground skink''', '''Cope's forest ground skink''', and '''''la escíncela de bosque de Cope''''' in Mexican Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Mexico.
Etymology The specific name, ''gemmingeri'', is in honor of German coleopterist Max Gemminger (1820–1887).
Geographic range ''S. gemmingeri'' is found in the coastal regions of the Mexican state of Veracruz and various surrounding states.
Habitat As its common name implies, the forest ground skink occurs primarily in forests, especially rainforests, oak forests, cloud forests, and tropical evergreen forests, at altitudes of , although it is also sometimes found on pastureland.
Conservation status ''S. gemmingeri'' faced no major threats as of 2020.
Reproduction ''S. gemmingeri'' is ovoviparous.
Description Like all members of the genus ''Scincella'', ''S. gemmingeri'' is long and cylindrical, with short limbs. Its color is dark gray, and it has a dark stripe originating at the snout and running dorsolaterally along its body. Its maximum snout-vent length (SVL) is about .
References
Further reading *Cope ED (1864). "Contributions to the Herpetology of Tropical America". ''Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia'' '''16''': 166-181. (''Oligosoma gemmingeri'', new species, p. 180). *García-Vásquez, Uri; Feria-Ortiz, Manuel (2006). "Skinks of Mexico". ''Reptilia'' (49): 74-79. *García-Vázquez UO, Mendoza-Hernández AA (2007). "''Scincella gemmingeri''. Geographic Distribution". ''Herpetological Review'' '''38''' (2): 218–220. *Perea-Pérez, A.; Peralta-Hernández, R.; García-Vázquez, U.O. (2019). "Reproduction. ''Scincella gemmingeri'' (Cope's Forest Ground Skink)". ''Herpetological Review'' '''50''' (4): 791.