Emoia atrocostata

Emoia atrocostata, commonly known as the littoral whiptail-skink, mangrove skink, or littoral skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It inhabits mangroves, back-beach vegetation and rocky shorelines.^[2] It is semi-aquatic and forages in tidal pools.^[3][4]

Emoia atrocostata
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Emoia
Species:	E. atrocostata
Binomial name
Emoia atrocostata (Lesson, 1830)
Synonyms
Scincus atrocostatus Lesson, 1830 Eumeces freycinetii Duméril & Bibron, 1839 Mocoa cumingi Gray, 1845 Euprepes bitaeniatus Peters, 1864 Mabouya jerdoniana Stoliczka, 1870 Eumeces singaporensis Steindachner, 1870 Euprepes parietalis Peters, 1871 Euprepes microstictus Peters, 1874 Mabouia marmorata Macleay, 1877 Mabouia irrorata Macleay, 1877 Eumeces serratus Fischer, 1886 Lygosoma sinus Smith, 1929 Lygosoma buergersi Vogt, 1932 Papuascincus buergersi (Vogt, 1932) Emoia manni Brown, 1948

Description

The species can be distinguished from the similar many-lined sun skink by the lack of keeled scales on the dorsal surface of the Mangrove Skink. Its colour is grey or brown-grey, flecked with black. There is a faint black band along each side. The throat is often bluish, and the belly greenish or yellow to orange.^[5]

Distribution

E. atrocostata can be found on the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and in Queensland, Australia.

References

1. Shea, G.; Diesmos, A.C.; Rico, E.L.; Gonzalez, J.C.; Afuang, L.E.; Allison, A.; Hamilton, A.; Grismer, L.; Couper, P.; Quah, E.; Hoskin, C.; Amey, A.; Shang, G.; Iskandar, D.; Gaulke, M. (2021). "Emoia atrocostata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T195316A2379075. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T195316A2379075.en.
2. Cox, Merel; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Nabhitabhat, Jaruji (1998). A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. New Holland Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-1853684388.
3. Naish, Darren (10 October 2014). "Skinks skinks skinks". Tetrapod Zoology. Scientific American. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
4. Brown (1991). "'Lizards of the genus Emoia (Scincidae) with observations on their evolution and biogeography" (PDF). Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences. 15: 1–94. ISSN 0885-4629. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2014. Alt URL
5. Grossman, Wolfgang; Manthey, Ulrich (1997). Amphibien und Reptilien Südostasiens (in German). NTV Natur und Tier-Verlag. ISBN 978-3931587123.

Further reading

• Duméril & Bibron, 1839 : Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. vol. 5, Roret/Fain et Thunot, Paris, p. 1-871 (full text).
• Lesson, 1830 : Description de quelques reptiles nouveaux ou peu connus. Voyage Autour du Monde Execute par Ordre du Roi, sur la Corvette de La Majeste, La Coquille, exécuté Pendant les Annees 1822, 1823, 1824 et 1825, vol. 2, p. 1-65, Arthur Bertrand, Paris.