Günther's cylindrical skink  (Chalcides guentheri)

Günther’s cylindrical skink is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Günther’s cylindrical skink (Chalcides guentheri) is a small, snake-like lizard with a slender, elongated body and highly reduced limbs (2) (3) (4). Its limbs consist of mere stumps, which lack digits (3) (4) and are the most highly reduced of any Chalcides species (5).

As in other skink species, the body of Günther’s cylindrical skink is covered in smooth, overlapping scales (6). Like other Chalcides species it also has a fairly pointed snout, with a large scale at the tip (3). Günther’s cylindrical skink is generally greyish-olive above, with lighter underparts. The upper side of the head is slightly darker than the rest of the body, and the scales on the upperparts of the body have dark margins (2).

The marked elongation of the body and the reduced limbs of Günther’s cylindrical skink are thought to be adaptations to living among grass and other vegetation. Its snake-like body form allows it to move rapidly through its environment using undulating, side-to-side movements of the body (3) (5) (7).

As in other Chalcides species with elongated bodies, the female Günther’s cylindrical skink is likely to grow larger than the male (3) (7).

An eastern Mediterranean species, Günther’s cylindrical skink is found in northwest Jordan, southwest Syria, northern and central Israel and parts of southern Lebanon (1) (2) (8).

Günther’s cylindrical skink usually occurs in oak (Quercus) woodland, in glades in shrubland, or sometimes in grasslands outside of woods (1). Individuals have also been found on open ground covered with boulders and sparse grasses (2).

This species has been recorded at elevations up to about 1,500 metres (1).

Relatively little information is available on the biology of Günther’s cylindrical skink. Like most other skinks, it is likely to be an active forager that feeds on insects and other small arthropods (6). A captive individual was reported to readily eat termite larvae (2). Skinks generally use chemical and visual signals to communicate, and the males may become aggressive towards rivals during the breeding season (6).

Günther’s cylindrical skink is viviparous, giving birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Although little specific information is available on reproduction in Günther’s cylindrical skink, it is likely that it has developed an unusual reproductive strategy seen in other Chalcides species with similarly elongated bodies. In these species, the narrowness of the body has led to the production of smaller eggs. Perhaps to compensate for smaller yolk supplies, a placenta-like structure develops during gestation, to help nourish the developing embryos (3) (7).

The larger size of the female in comparison to the male may allow the females of these species to produce larger clutches (3) (7). In Günther’s cylindrical skink, the female has been reported to give birth to an average of three young (1).

Günther’s cylindrical skink occupies a relatively restricted and highly fragmented range, and is believed to be declining due to the loss and degradation of its habitat (1). Much of its habitat is being converted for agriculture, and Günther’s cylindrical skink is not known to live in modified environments (1).

In Jordan, reptiles such as Günther’s cylindrical skink are also likely to be under threat from a range of other human impacts, including urban expansion, infrastructure development, and the poor implementation of environmental laws and legislation (9).

Günther’s cylindrical skink is protected by law in Israel, and occurs in at least two protected areas, at Mount Hermon and Mount Meron (1). However, no other specific conservation measures are currently known to be in place for this unusual and little-known reptile.

Find out more about Günther’s cylindrical skink:

• The Reptile Database:
  http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/

More information on conservation in the Mediterranean region:

• Conservation International: Biodiversity Hotspots - Mediterranean Basin:
  http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/mediterranean/Pages/default.aspx
• ARKive - Mediterranean Basin:
  http://www.arkive.org/eco-regions/mediterranean-basin/