About Chalcides chalcides (Linnaeus, 1758)
This skink, Chalcides chalcides, looks superficially similar to a snake, with the exception of its tiny limbs that have three-toed feet. The middle toe of its hind foot is longer than the other two toes, a feature that distinguishes this species from the Western three-toed skink, Chalcides striatus. It has a small head, a thick neck, and reaches a total length of around 48 cm (19 in), with more than half of this length made up by its tail. Three distinct colour variants exist for this species: some individuals are a plain silvery-grey; some have four to six narrow lengthwise lines running along their body; and some have these lengthwise lines, plus an additional pale longitudinal lateral band. This species, commonly called the Italian three-toed skink, is native to Italy and North Africa. In Italy, it is common south of the River Po, and is also found on Sardinia, Elba, and Sicily. In North Africa, its range covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Its typical habitat is damp, sunny areas with dense low vegetation, such as meadows, stream verges, marshes, grassy slopes, and hedgerows. In upland regions, it may occupy drier, more arid areas with low scrub and degraded slopes. It occurs across an altitudinal range from sea level up to 2,077 m (6,814 ft).
