Emoia atrocostata (Lesson, 1830)
Family: Scincidae Tide-pool Skink, Mangrove Skink Status: Indigenous Description: The Tide-pool Skink is a relatively large species of skink. Adults measure up to 100 mm SVL and 260 mm TL. Dorsally this skink is a metallic bronze to grey or green with darker markings forming irregular cross bars. The sides are black and the metallic dorsal coloration intrudes into the black fields, occasionally creating light crossbars. Ventrally this skink is white or greenish white. The regenerated tail has an orange coloration. Its distinct coloration and habitat make it unlikely that this skink will be confused with any other lizard in the Mariana Islands. Biology: In the Mariana Islands this skink inhabits the intertidal zone and adjacent strand vegetation. It is rarely seen more than a few meters from the ocean. It is most commonly associated with karst shorelines with dense stands of Pemphis acidula and in such habitat can be relatively common. In other parts of its range it may also inhabit mangrove flats and rocky causeways. It a wary species and often difficult to detect even in areas where it is abundant. Distribution: Emoia atrocostata occurs widely throughout Oceania. In the Mariana Islands it is found on Cocos, Guam, Rota, (Vogt and Williams 2004), Aguijan, (Vogt et al. 2001) and Saipan (Wiles and Guerrero 1996).Though there is a lot of apparently suitable habitat, with a few exceptions they are only known from a few localities on each island. It was only recently discovered on Guam (Reed et al. 2007) though they are common on Cocos Island and occur on some of the small fringing islets. Vogt S. R., E.W. Campbell, R. N. Reed, and G. H. Rodda. 2001. New Lizard Records from the Mariana Islands. Herpetological Review. 32(2) 127-128. Vogt, S. and L. Williams. 2004. Common Flora and Fauna of the Mariana Islands. Wiles G. J., and J.P. Guerrero. 1996. Relative Abundance of Lizards and Marine Toads on Saipan, Mariana Islands. Pacific Science 50(3) 274-284 Reed, R.N., G.H. Rodda, and T.J. Hinkle. 2007. Geographic Distribution. Herpetological Review 38 (1) 100. |