18-Oct-2020: Celebrating skinks, ZSI lists 62 species in India

The recently released publication ‘Skinks of India’ by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) notes India is home to 62 species of skinks, with about 57% (33 species) of these being endemic.

With about 1,602 species of skinks across the world, skinks constitute the largest family of lizards. However, their occurrence in India is less than 4 % of the global diversity.

Skinks have long bodies, relatively small or no legs, no pronounced neck and glossy scales. They actively forage for a variety of insects and small invertebrates and have a prominent role in maintaining ecosystems.

Skinks are common reptiles found in all kinds of habitats across the country in every bio-geographic zone.

Biogeography deals with the geographical distribution of plants and animals. The bio-geographic zones of India include the following:

• Trans Himalayas
• Himalayas
• Indian desert
• Western Ghats
• Semi-arid
• Deccan peninsula
• Gangetic plains
• Coasts
• North-eastern India
• Islands