Mochlus

Skinks of the genus Mochlus are cylindrical in shape and robust. They get the common name "writhing skinks" from the side-to-side movement that they make when held in the hand.

Skinks in the genus Mochlus feed on insects and millipedes.Alexander, Graham; Marais, Johan (2008). A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers. 408 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-77007-386-9}}. ("Writhing Skinks", pp. 247-248).

The following 19 species are recognized as being valid.{{EMBL genus|genus=Mochlus}}. www.reptile-database.org.

• Mochlus brevicaudis {{small|(Greer, Grandison & Barbault, 1985)}}
• Mochlus fernandi {{small|(Burton, 1836)}} – fire skink
• Mochlus grandisonianus {{small|Lanza & Carfi, 1966}} – Lanza's writhing skink
• Mochlus guineensis {{small|(W. Peters, 1879)}} – Guinean forest skink
• Mochlus hinkeli {{small|Wagner, Böhme, Pauwels & Schmitz, 2009}} – Hinkel's red-sided skink, Hinkel's red-flanked skink
• Mochlus laeviceps (W. Peters, 1874) – common writhing skink
• Mochlus lanceolatus Broadley, 1990 – Broadley's writhing skink
• Mochlus mabuiiformis {{small|(Loveridge, 1935)}} – Mabuya-like writhing skink
• Mochlus mafianus {{small|(Broadley, 1994)}} – mafia writhing skink
• Mochlus mocquardi {{small|(Chabanaud, 1917)}} – Mocquard's writhing skinkBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (Lygosoma mocquardi, p. 181).
• Mochlus paedocarinatus {{small|Lanza & Carfi, 1968}} – Lanza's writhing skink, Abyssinian writhing skink
• Mochlus pembanus Boettger, 1913 – Pemba Island writhing skink
• Mochlus productus {{small|(Boulenger, 1909)}} – Boulenger's writhing skink
• Mochlus simonettai {{small|(Lanza, 1979)}} – Simonetta's writhing skink
• Mochlus somalicus {{small|(Parker, 1942)}} – Somali writhing skink
• Mochlus striatus {{small|(Hallowell, 1854)}}
• Mochlus sundevallii {{small|(A. Smith, 1849)}} – Sundevall's writhing skink
• Mochlus tanae {{small|(Loveridge, 1935)}} – Loveridge's writhing skink, Tana River writhing skink
• Mochlus vinciguerrae {{small|(Parker, 1932)}} – Vinciguerra's writhing skink

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Mochlus.

{{Reflist}}

Günther A (1864). "Report on a Collection of Reptiles and Fishes made by Dr. Kirk in the Zambesi and Nyassa Regions". Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1864: 303–314. (Mochlus, new genus, p. 308).

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Category:Lizard genera

Category:Taxa named by Albert Günther

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