Common skink <i>Eutropis carinata</i> (Reptilia: Scincidae) feed on endemic semi-slug <i>Ratnadvipia irradians</i> (Limacoidae: Ariophantidae)

The skinks belong to the genus Eutropis is widely distributed in South and South East Asia and is represented in Sri Lanka by seven species, the largest and the most common of which is common skink Eutropis carinata (Schneider, 1801) (Das et al., 2008). In Sri Lanka E. carinata is widely distributed in open areas, closed canopy forest, home gardens and plantations in wet and dry zones below 1,000 m altitude (Das & de Silva, 2005). The Sri Lankan endemic semi-slug genus Ratnadvipia consists of two species, Ratnadvipia irradians (Pfeiffer, 1853) and Ratnadvipia karui Raheem & Naggs, 2006. Ratnadvipia is almost exclusively confined to the tropical lowland rain forests, intermediate zone and up to the suitable habitats within the dry zone (Raheem & Naggs, 2006). Although snails are usually not an item of skink diet, we have observed a semi-slug in E. carinata gut. On 30 December 2008, a dry sunny day, first author found a dead (road kill) of Eutropis carinata adult male (snout-vent length 143 mm, tail length 202 mm) on the rocky road at Morningside area, Ratnapura District (0624’N, 8038’E, altitude 1030 m) at 07:15 hr (temperature 23 C, humidity 69%). The specimen was fresh with severe head damage. The abdomen of the skink was dissected and investigated the gut contents. The lumen of the stomach consisted of an undigested adult specimen of Ratnadvipia irradians (total length of the body: about 60 mm, maximum width of the shell: about 18 mm) (Fig. 1) in addition to six half digested Coleopterans.