Mochlus sundevallii

{{Speciesbox

| image = Sundevall's Writhing Skink (Mochlus sundevallii subsp. sundevallii).jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn | author = Spawls S | author-link = Stephen Spawls |year=2017 |title=Mochlus sundevallii |amends=2010 |page=e.T178641A110249898 | access-date = 25 March 2022}}

| genus = Mochlus

| species = sundevallii

| authority = (A. Smith, 1849)

| range_map =

| synonyms = *Eumeces (Riopa) sundevallii
{{small|A. Smith, 1849}}

Eumeces afer
{{small|W. Peters, 1854}}
Lygosoma sundevalli
{{small|— Calabresi, 1915}}
Riopa sundevalli
{{small|— M.A. Smith, 1937}}
Mochlus sundevalli
{{small|— Mittleman, 1952}}
Mochlus sundevallii
{{small|— Freitas et al., 2019}}

| synonyms_ref = Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Lygosoma sundevallii, pp. 307–308).

}}

Mochlus sundevallii, also known commonly as Peters' eyelid skink, Peters' writhing skink, and Sundevall's writhing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, sundevallii, is in honor of Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall.Beolens, 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}}. (Mochlus sundevallii, p. 258).

File:Cape Wolf Snake imported from iNaturalist photo 521779 on 3 December 2024 (cropped).jpg, in Zimbabwe]]

Geographic range

M. sundevallii is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Reptile Database also lists Central African Republic, Sudan, and possibly South Sudan.{{NRDB species|genus=Mochlus|species=sundevallii|accessdate=22 September 2019}}

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of M. sundevallii are shrubland, savanna, and forest, at altitudes from sea level to {{convert|2,000|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

Description

M. sundevallii usually has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of {{convert|6|–|8|cm|in|abbr=on}}, but may grow to almost {{convert|9|cm|in|abbr=on}} SVL. Dorsally, it is grayish or light brown, with dark brown speckling. Ventrally, it is uniformly cream-colored, except for the underside of the tail, which may have speckling.Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. {{ISBN|0-88359-042-5}}. (Lygosoma sundevallii, p. 150 + Plate 49).