NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Scelotes poensis Bocage, 1895
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Scelotes poensis is a species of small skink endemic to the coastal forests of Bioko, such as the regions surrounding Malabo. The species has also potentially been sighted in the coastal forests of Cameroon. It is also known as the Fernando Po Burrowing Skink, after the historic name for Bioko.
No physical examples nor images of the species exist. Furthermore, despite this name, it is debated whether the animal is terrestrial or fossorial. It is, however, know that the average adult of the species weighs 9.77g and that the species lacks both forelimbs and hindlimbs.
Wikipedia contributors, Scelotes poensis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T14:50:20.825782+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Scelotes poensis Bocage, 1895
- Name authority
- Bocage, 1895
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Scincidae
- Genus
- Scelotes
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderAutarchoglossa
- familyScincidae
- subfamilyScincinae
- genusScelotes
- speciesScelotes poensis Bocage, 1895
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Scelotes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes bidigittatus Fitzsimons, 1930 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Montane Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes mirus (Roux, 1907) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Bloubergstrand Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes montispectus Bauer, Whiting & Sadlier, 2003 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Mozambique Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes mossambicus (Peters, 1882) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Coastal Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes vestigifer Broadley, 1994 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cape Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes caffer (Peters, 1861) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Durban Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes inornatus (Smith, 1849) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Bourquin’s Dwarf Burrowing Skink [bourquini]Scelotes guentheri Boulenger, 1887 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cape Burrowing SkinkScelotes capensis (Smith, 1849) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kasner's Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes kasneri Fitzsimons, 1939 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes limpopoensis Fitzsimons, 1930 | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Striped Dwarf Burrowing SkinkScelotes sexlineatus (Harlan, 1824) | ScincidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Scelotes&species=poensis Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4V5FK. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.