# Chioninia

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Genus of lizards

Cape Verde mabuyas Temporal range: Late Miocene/Early Pliocene–Recent[1][2] Vaillant's mabuya (Chioninia vaillantii) in the Prague Zoo Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Scincidae Subfamily: Mabuyinae Genus: Chioninia Gray, 1845 Species 7 species, see text

***Chioninia*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [skinks](/source/Skinks), lizards in the [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) [Lygosominae](/source/Lygosominae). For long, this genus was included in the "[wastebin taxon](/source/Wastebin_taxon)" *[Mabuya](/source/Mabuya)*. The genus *Chioninia* contains the [Cape Verde](/source/Cape_Verde) mabuyas.[3]

## Description

[Species](/source/Species) in the genus *Chioninia* are mid-sized to largish [lizards](/source/Lizard) with cylindrical bodies, tails of medium length, and well-developed arms and legs; the hands and feet have 5 toes each. Their [cycloid scales](/source/Cycloid_scale) are underlaid by [osteoderms](/source/Osteoderm). The scales on the back and belly are similar in shape, but those on the back are keeled. The scales on the top of the head are generally flat and [subimbricate](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subimbricate&action=edit&redlink=1); they have a pair of [supranasal](/source/Supranasal) scales and the [frontoparietal](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frontoparietal&action=edit&redlink=1) and [prefrontal scales](/source/Prefrontal_scale) are paired or fused. The third [supraocular](/source/Supraocular) scale is the hindmost one that contacts the [frontal scale](/source/Frontal_scale), and the secondary [temporal scales](/source/Temporal_scales) touch each other. The [nasal scale](/source/Nasal_scale) is undivided.[3]

*Chioninia* mabuyas have 26–27 [presacral](/source/Presacral) [vertebrae](/source/Vertebra). Their [palatine bones](/source/Palatine_bone) are in contact with the [median](/source/Median_(disambiguation)); the deep [sphenopalatine notch](/source/Sphenopalatine_notch) separates the (toothed or toothless) [pterygoids](/source/Pterygoid_processes_of_the_sphenoid) and extends forwards to between the centre of the eyes. The fairly small teeth are [pleurodont](/source/Pleurodont). The [ear](/source/Ear) opening is small, and the [eardrums](/source/Eardrum) are hidden in a moderately deep [ear canal](/source/Ear_canal).[3]

## Species

The following 7 species are recognized as being valid:[4]

- *[Chioninia coctei](/source/Chioninia_coctei)* ([A.M.C. Duméril](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Marie_Constant_Dum%C3%A9ril) & [Bibron](/source/Gabriel_Bibron), 1839) – Cape Verde giant skink - extinct

- *[Chioninia delalandii](/source/Chioninia_delalandii)* (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839) – Delalande's skink

- *[Chioninia fogoensis](/source/Chioninia_fogoensis)* ([O'Shaughnessy](/source/Arthur_O'Shaughnessy), 1874) – Fogo skink

- *[Chioninia nicolauensis](/source/Chioninia_nicolauensis)* ([Schleich](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hans_Hermann_Schleich&action=edit&redlink=1), 1987) – São Nicolau skink

- *[Chioninia spinalis](/source/Chioninia_spinalis)* ([Boulenger](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger), 1906)

- *[Chioninia stangeri](/source/Chioninia_stangeri)* ([Gray](/source/John_Edward_Gray), 1845) – Stanger's skink

- *[Chioninia vaillantii](/source/Chioninia_vaillantii)* (Boulenger, 1887) – Vaillant's mabuya

*[Nota bene](/source/Nota_bene)*: A [binomial authority](/source/Binomial_nomenclature) in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than *Chioninia*.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Carranza, S.](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Carranza); [Arnold, E.N.](/source/Edwin_Nicholas_Arnold); [Mateo, J.A.](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Antonio_Mateo_Miras); [López-Jurado, L.F.](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Luis_Felipe_L%C3%B3pez_Jurado) (2001). ["Parallel gigantism and complex colonization patterns in the Cape Verde scincid lizards *Mabuya* and *Macroscincus* (Reptilia: Scincidae) revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1088783). *Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences*. **268** (1476): 1595–603. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rspb.2001.1699](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frspb.2001.1699). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [1088783](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1088783). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [11487407](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11487407).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Karin, B. R., Metallinou, M., Weinell, J. L., Jackman, T. R., & Bauer, A. M. (2016). Resolving the higher-order phylogenetic relationships of the circumtropical Mabuya group (Squamata: Scincidae): An out-of-Asia diversification. *Molecular phylogenetics and evolution*, 102, 220-232.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cyberlizards2004_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cyberlizards2004_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-cyberlizards2004_3-2) ["The Scincidae – *Chioninia*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20041010235534/http://www.nafcon.dircon.co.uk/skinks_chioninia.htm). *Cyberlizards*. Archived from [the original](http://www.nafcon.dircon.co.uk/skinks_chioninia.htm) on 2004-10-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [*Chioninia*](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search?genus=Chioninia&submit=Search), The Reptile Database.

Taxon identifiers Chioninia Wikidata: Q2707422 Wikispecies: Chioninia ADW: Chioninia CoL: 3N93 EoL: 83776 GBIF: 2464792 iNaturalist: 87421 IRMNG: 1435494 NCBI: 889814 Open Tree of Life: 212379

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chioninia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chioninia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chioninia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.