Chordates • Earth.com

Varzea bistriata

(Varzea bistriata)

Description

Varzea bistriata is a species of skink found in South America and some islands in the Caribbean. Common names include the Two-Striped Mabuya and the Shiny Lizard. It has shiny bronze or copper skin, with a dark longitudinal stripe along each flank that is often bordered by cream-colored lines. Its taxonomy has undergone significant revision in recent years and remains unresolved, such that its distribution and distinction from two similar, closely related species is not clear. Many populations previously identified as M. bistriata have since been identified as M. mabouya (in the Caribbean) or M. nigropunctata (South America). Notwithstanding populations that have been reassigned and pending further revisions, it has been recorded as present in Brazil, French Guiana, Bolivia, and Jamaica, and possibly Peru, Colombia, Trinidad, and Tobago.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Family:Scincidae
Genus:Varzea
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