title: Scincella gemmingeri
text: # Scincella gemmingeri
  
  Scincella gemmingeri, commonly known as the forest ground skink, Cope's forest ground skink, and la escíncela de bosque de Cope in Mexican Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Mexico.
  
  ## Etymology
  
  The specific name, gemmingeri, is in honor of German coleopterist Max Gemminger (1820–1887).
  
  ## Geographic range
  
  S. gemmingeri is found in the coastal regions of the Mexican state of Veracruz and various surrounding states.
  
  ## Habitat
  
  As its common name implies, the forest ground skink occurs primarily in forests, especially rainforests, oak forests, cloud forests, and tropical evergreen forests, at altitudes of 200–2,000 m (660–6,560 ft), although it is also sometimes found on pastureland.
  
  ## Conservation status
  
  S. gemmingeri faced no major threats as of 2020.
  
  ## Reproduction
  
  S. gemmingeri is ovoviparous.
  
  ## Description
  
  Like all members of the genus Scincella, S. gemmingeri is long and cylindrical, with short limbs. Its color is dark gray, and it has a dark stripe originating at the snout and running dorsolaterally along its body. Its maximum snout-vent length (SVL) is about 45 mm (1.8 in).
  
  