A NEW SPECIES OF MABUYA FITZINGER (REPTILIA, SQUAMATA, SCINCIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN MADAGASCAR

Specimens of a rock-dwelling species of Mabuya were collected at four sites in southern Madagascar. This species is similar in scalation and general color pattern to another Madagascan species, Mabuya aureopunc tata, but differs from the latter species in having reddish bronze col oration on the posterior half of the body and tail (grayish brown in M . aureopunctata), in details of the color pattern on the anterior half of the body, and in being much smaller (55 mm maximum snout-vent leng th compared to 82 mm maximum for M. aureopunctata). Direct comparison of the rock-dwelling form to the holotype of M. aureopunctata and to o ther freshly collected M. aureopunctata confirms that the rock-dwellin g form represents a new species of Mabuya, which is described and comp ared to the six other Madagascan species of the genus. Brief notes on the life history and ecology of the new form are included.