Some remarkable specimens of the giant Cape Verde skink, Macroscincus coctei (Dumeril & Bibron, 1839), with notes about its distribution and causes of its possible extinction

At the end of the nineteenth century, about 40 live specimens of the presum ably now extinct giant Cape Verde skink, Macroscincus coctei, were imported into Italy by M. G. Peracca. Currently 26 adult specimens (11 males and 15 females) and six eggs, whose provenance is likely Ilheu Branco, have been located in the herpetological collection of Turin University. Other six spe cimens exchanged by Peracca are currently present at Treviso ('Seminario Ve scovile'). This paper provides information about them, together with data o n some further specimens preserved in two other Italian museums. Ar Genoa t here are six specimens (four males and two juveniles) from Ilheu Branco and Ilheu Razor at Florence a single male is preserved and bears, as provenanc e locality, Sao Vicente. Besides its museological relevance, the Turin and Treviso series can provide some biometric and meristic information, until n ow limited to a few specimens. The snout-vent length of the individuals fro m Turin pooled together with specimens held at Treviso (belonging to the fo rmer Peracca's collection) is 285.85 +/- 25.12 mm in males and 253.50 +/- 1 7.00 mm in females; sexes differ also in several biometric ratios: males ha ve in general a larger and longer head and longer hindlegs. The maximum sca le number at midbody is 114 in both adult sexes and 110 in the smallest juv enile. Their colouration can be assigned to three colour morphs (grey, yell ow, and intermediate). II is argued that the 11 males still preserved in Tu rin may be those measured by Peracca. The presence of the species at Sao Vi cente is also discussed, but most likely it is due to inaccuracy on the lab el accompanying the Florence specimen.