Neoseps
Encyclopedia
There is only one species known of the genus Neoseps, the Neoseps reynoldsi, commonly known as the Florida sand skink. The species has been described by Leonhard Hess Stejneger
in 1910 and named in honor of one A. G. Reynolds, who had collected the holotype
.
adapted to an underground existence, the sand skink measures 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 inches) in length and has a gray to tan color. Its forelegs are tiny and bear only one toe; its hindlegs are small and have two toes. The tail comprises about half of the animal's total length. The sand skink has a wedge-shaped head, a partially countersunk lower jaw, body grooves into which the forelegs can be folded, and small eyes which have transparent windows in the lower lids. These features enable the lizard to swim beneath the surface of loose sand. The diet of this species consists of surface-dwelling invertebrates, including beetle larva
e, termite
s, spider
s, and larval antlion
s.
Sand skinks are most active in spring, their mating season. They reach sexual maturity after 1 to 2 years and remain reproductively active for two to three years. About 55 days after mating, the female lays on the average two eggs, which hatch in June or July.
in 1987. They only occur in central Florida
— 115 known sites were recorded in 1999. However, researchers acknowledge that Sand Skinks are difficult to detect and might be found in more places with a suitable habitat if searched for sufficiently. Known habitat occurs in the Lake Wales Ridge
but it is also found on the Winter Haven Ridge in Polk County
and the Mount Dora Ridge.
The Sand Skink exists in areas vegetated with Sand Pine
–Florida Rosemary
scrub or a Longleaf Pine
–American turkey oak association, including Florida scrub
habitat. Food supply and moisture are important factors in the species' selection of habitat. Sand Skinks are most frequently found in the ecotone
between Florida Rosemary scrub and palmetto
-pine flatwoods
where moisture is present beneath the surface litter, e.g., bark, and in sand. The species usually remains underground and burrows 5–10 cm (2–3.9 in) beneath the soil to find its nourishment.
Leonhard Hess Stejneger
Leonhard Hess Stejneger was a Norwegian-born American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles and amphibians....
in 1910 and named in honor of one A. G. Reynolds, who had collected the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
.
Physical description
A unique lizardLizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
adapted to an underground existence, the sand skink measures 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 inches) in length and has a gray to tan color. Its forelegs are tiny and bear only one toe; its hindlegs are small and have two toes. The tail comprises about half of the animal's total length. The sand skink has a wedge-shaped head, a partially countersunk lower jaw, body grooves into which the forelegs can be folded, and small eyes which have transparent windows in the lower lids. These features enable the lizard to swim beneath the surface of loose sand. The diet of this species consists of surface-dwelling invertebrates, including beetle larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e, termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s, spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, and larval antlion
Antlion
Antlions are a group of insects in the family Myrmeleontidae . The most well-known genus is Myrmeleo. There are about 2,000 species...
s.
Sand skinks are most active in spring, their mating season. They reach sexual maturity after 1 to 2 years and remain reproductively active for two to three years. About 55 days after mating, the female lays on the average two eggs, which hatch in June or July.
Distribution and habitat
The Sand Skink was classified as a Threatened species by the United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
in 1987. They only occur in central Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
— 115 known sites were recorded in 1999. However, researchers acknowledge that Sand Skinks are difficult to detect and might be found in more places with a suitable habitat if searched for sufficiently. Known habitat occurs in the Lake Wales Ridge
Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
The Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in four separated areas on the Lake Wales Ridge east of US 27 between Davenport and Sebring Florida. The 1,194 acre refuge was established in 1990, to protect a host of plants and...
but it is also found on the Winter Haven Ridge in Polk County
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
and the Mount Dora Ridge.
The Sand Skink exists in areas vegetated with Sand Pine
Sand Pine
Pinus clausa is a small, often shrubby tree from , exceptionally to tall, found in two separate locations, one across central peninsular Florida, and the other in the western Florida panhandle and the Alabama coast; there is a range gap of about between the populations...
–Florida Rosemary
Ceratiola ericoides
The Sandhill-rosemary, Florida-rosemary or Sand heath, Ceratiola ericoides, is a shrub usually included in the plant family Ericaceae, though treated by some botanists in the Empetraceae....
scrub or a Longleaf Pine
Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
–American turkey oak association, including Florida scrub
Florida scrub
Florida scrub is an endangered temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the state of Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by a xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Scrub soils, a type of entisol, are derived...
habitat. Food supply and moisture are important factors in the species' selection of habitat. Sand Skinks are most frequently found in the ecotone
Ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes but different patches of the landscape, such as forest and grassland. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local or regional...
between Florida Rosemary scrub and palmetto
Sabal
Sabal is a genus of New World palms, many of the species being known as palmetto. They are fan palms , with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets; in some of the species, the leaflets are joined for up to half of their length...
-pine flatwoods
Flatwoods
Flatwoods, Pineywoods, Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Ecosystem refers to an ecological community in the Southeastern coastal plain of North America...
where moisture is present beneath the surface litter, e.g., bark, and in sand. The species usually remains underground and burrows 5–10 cm (2–3.9 in) beneath the soil to find its nourishment.
Selected literature
- Sutton, P.E. (1996), A mark and recapture study of the Florida sand skink Neoseps reynoldsi and a comparison of sand skink sampling methods. Master’s thesis, University of South Florida; Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. - Telford, S.R. Jr. (1959), A study of the sand skink, Neoseps reynoldsi. Copeia 1959 (2):100-119.