About
Paracontias fasika is an incredibly rare species which is only known from a single specimen!
Paracontias fasika is a legless skink that inhabits shrubby areas. Unlike other species in the same genus, it is a surface dweller and does not burrow into the ground. It is part of the Scincidae family, which diverged from all other families around 80 million years ago, about the time that humans and slow lorises shared a common ancestor.
This species has been impacted by logging for charcoal and the conversion of their habitat to agricultural lands. This lizard is confined to the forest which is already degraded at Forêt d’Orangea in Madagascar and habitat loss poses a serious threat to this species.
There are currently no species specific conservation actions in place for Paracontias fasika but Forêt d’Orangea is currently being developed as a new protected area. More research is required on the ecological requirements of this species and its population status, to aid conservation management and interventions.
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Scincidae
- Population: Unknown
- Trend: unknown
- Size: 33.6mm
EDGE Score
Distribution
Paracontias fasika is known from northern Madagascar at an elevation of 10 meters above sea level at Forêt d’Orangea.
Habitat and Ecology
Paracontias fasika lives in shrubby areas on sandy soil, where it appears to be a surface-dweller.
