New Species named after LSUMNS Amphibian & Reptile Curator Dr. Chris Austin

 Eutropis austini

Sri Lankan herpetologist Sudesh Batuwita named a new species of scincid lizard (Eutropis austini) after curator Chris Austin “for his contributions to the systematics of the scincid fauna of Sri Lanka.” The paper was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Herpetology and uses morphology to distinguish this species as new to science.  Eutropis austini is found only in the Central Hills of Sri Lanka above 500 meters in elevation. In order to describe a species as new to science researchers must follow a very rigorous procedure with strict rules put in place by the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) and have it published in a peer-reviewed journal. 

 

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