Ristella

Ristella
Ristella travancorica from the Western Ghats.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Subfamily:	Sphenomorphinae
Genus:	Ristella Gray, 1839[1]

Ristella is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. Member species are commonly known as cat skinks because of their retractile claws. This genus can be instantly identified by the presence of only four fingers in forelimbs in all the species (instead of the usual five). All the members look more or less similar, and are drab dark brown to blackish in colouration, with paler undersides. This poorly known group of lizards is diurnal, insectivorous, terrestrial to semi-fossorial in habits. They inhabit deep leaf-litter and grasslands in montane forests and rainforests.