About Ablepharus kitaibelii Bibron & Bory St-Vincent, 1833
Species Name and Size
Ablepharus kitaibelii (Bibron & Bory St-Vincent, 1833) is a small, slender lizard that reaches a maximum total length of 15 cm (5.9 inches), including the tail.
Appearance
Its skin is bronze-coloured with dark sides, and unlike many other skinks, it has immovable eyelids.
Main Species Distribution
This species is native to Greece (including the Aegean Islands), Romania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Albania, Slovakia, the Caucasus, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt; it may also occur in Iraq, and it is also found in Macedonia.
Subspecies Distribution
The subspecies Ablepharus kitaibelii fitzingeri is found in Slovakia, Hungary, Greece, and the island of Corfu, while the subspecies Ablepharus kitaibelii stepaneki is found in Bulgaria and Romania.
Behavior
A. kitaibelii is a shy, ground-dwelling species that does not climb often.
Habitat
It lives under stones and leaf litter in dry habitats including south-facing slopes, fields, and meadows.
Activity and Diet
It is active during twilight and hunts for insects and small snails.
Reproduction
A. kitaibelii is oviparous.
