182 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



Lizard, A. hoshianus, living in desert portions of north- 

 ern Africa and in Arabia. In keeping with the sterile 

 soil the colors are pallid. A photograph of an adult 

 example, eight inches long, shows the pleasing pat- 

 tern; the stripes are golden yellow; between them are 

 traces of rusty red. 



Seemingly intermediate between the Lacertidce and 

 a f amiljr to follow — the Scincidce — is a strictly African 

 family of lizards. This is the Gerrhosauridce. The 

 headquarters of the species are in South Africa and 

 Madagascar. The members are characterized by a deep 

 fold on each side of the bodj^ the vicinity of this fold 

 coated with granular scales as exists among the species 

 of Gerrlionotus (New World members of the Anguidce). 



Some of the species of the Gerrhosauridce have well- 

 developed limbs ; among others these members are rudi- 

 mentary. The head is covered with symmetrical shields, 

 the body with square or diamond-shaped, overlapping 

 scales which are, among many, in regular transverse 

 rows ; underljang the scales are thin, bony plates, as exist 

 with the Scincidce. 



Our next family, the Scincidce, is cosmopolitan. Its 

 members are popularly known as Skinks. Among the 

 vast majority of them there is a peculiar similarity of 

 aspect, the scales being large, rounded and quite smooth, 

 overlapping one another like extremely thin shingles. 



Considered from a more technical point of view, the 

 skinks may be described as pleurodont lizards, the body 

 protected by thin, bony plates underlying the scales. 

 The tongue is moderately long and feebly nicked at the 

 tip. Most of the species have short limbs, but are fleet 

 runners; others are snake-hke of body and among the 

 latter forms we may find all stages of degeneracy. 

 Some have both pairs of limbs, these much reduced, and 



