Trachylepis nancycoutuae, also known commonly as Nancy Coutu's mabuya and Nancy Coutu's skink, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Lygosominae of the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Etymology The specific name, nancycoutuae, is in honor of American Peace Corps volunteer Nancy Coutu (1967–1996), who was murdered in Madagascar by cattle thieves.Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Mabuya nancycoutuae, p. 187).
Habitat The preferred natural habitats of Trachylepis nancycoutuae are rocky areas and shrubland, at altitudes of .
Reproduction The mode of reproduction of Trachylepis nancycoutuae is unknown.
References
Further reading Bauer AM (2003). "On the identity of Lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758, the type species of the genus Euprepis Wagler 1830, and the generic assignment of Afro-Malagasy skinks". African Journal of Herpetology 52 (1): 1–7. (Trachylepis nancycoutuae, new combination). Glaw F, Vences M (2006). A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Third Edition. Cologne, Germany: Vences & Glaw Verlag. 496 pp. . Lima A, Harris DJ, Rocha S, Miralles A, Glaw F, Vences M (2013). "Phylogenetic relationships of Trachylepis skink species from Madagascar and the Seychelles (Squamata: Scincidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 67 (3): 615–620. Mausfeld P, Schmitz A (2003). "Molecular phylogeography, intraspecific variation and speciation of the Asian scincid lizard genus Eutropis Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Reptilia: Scincidae): taxonomic and biogeographic implications". Organisms Diversity & Evolution 3: 161–171. (Euprepis nancycoutuae, new combination). Nussbaum RA, Raxwothy CJ (1998). "A New Species of Mabuya Fitzinger (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from the High Plateau (Isalo National Park) of South-Central Madagascar". Herpetologica 54 (3): 336–343. (Mabuya nancycoutuae, new species).