Algerian three-toed skink
species of reptile
The Algerian three-toed skink (Chalcides mertensi) is a species of "grass-swimming skink", a lizard in the subfamily Scincinae of the family Scincidae. The species has an elongated serpentine shape and reduced limbs. It is native to north-western Africa.
Etymology
The specific name, mertensi, is in honor of German herpetologist Robert Mertens.
Geographic distribution
Chalcides mertensi is native to northern Algeria and northern Tunisia, where it occurs on the Mediterranean coast.
Habitat
The Algerian three-toed skink lives in forested areas in northern Algeria, and in semi-arid maquis-type habitats in Algeria and Tunisia. It prefers humid, sunny areas with dense vegetation within grassland, meadows, areas close to streams, hedges, open cork oak forest, and the edges of cultivated areas. It is also known from tall herbaceous grassland. The females give birth to formed young. It has been recorded at elevations from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
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This entry incorporates text from “Algerian three-toed skink” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.