Trachylepis striata
—
Striped Skink
Also known as:
African Striped Mabuya, African Striped Skink, House Skink
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These furtive skinks were common throughout our trip, in both Uganda and Kenya. Most of them were not interested in posing. This one was enjoying life on a brick gazebo-like structure just atop Kyambura Gorge, where we looked for but did not find chimpanzees.
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A few of these skinks kept me occupied while we waited for our plane at the airstrip in Masai Mara Game Reserve. Fortunately they were just off the airstrip, because venturing any distance away would make you lion bait.
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The historic Norfolk Hotel near downtown Nairobi is popular with the skink crowd. But they were still very skittish. I had to use 400mm of lens to get close enough to take these pictures.
Printed references:
- Branch, B. 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa, third revised edition
- Spawls, S. 2017. A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Maasai Mara
- Spawls, S., Howell, K., Hinkel, H., Menegon, M. 2018. A Field Guide to East African Reptiles, 2nd edition