Sphenomorphus forbesi

Sphenomorphus forbesi, also known commonly as Forbes' forest skink and the slender litter skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Papua New Guinea.^[2]

Sphenomorphus forbesi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Sphenomorphus
Species:	S. forbesi
Binomial name
Sphenomorphus forbesi (Boulenger, 1888)
Synonyms[2]
Lygosoma forbesi Boulenger, 1888 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) forbesi — M.A. Smith, 1937 Sphenomorphus forbesi — Greer, 1991

Etymology

The specific name, forbesi, is in honor of Henry Ogg Forbes, who was a Scottish explorer and naturalist.^[3]

Geographic range

S. forbesi is found on the Sogeri Plateau in the Owen Stanley Range in Central Province, Papua New Guinea.^[1][2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of S. forbesi is forest, at altitudes of 700–1,900 m (2,300–6,200 ft), but it has also been found in oil palm plantations.^[1]

Reproduction

S. forbesi is oviparous.^[2]

References

1. Tallowin, O. (2016). "Sphenomorphus forbesi ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T42485242A42485247. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T42485242A42485247.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. Sphenomorphus forbesi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 22 March 2020.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sphenomorphus forbesi, p. 91).

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1888). "Descriptions of new Reptiles and Batrachians obtained by Mr. H. O. Forbes in New Guinea". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Sixth Series 1 (5): 343–346. (Lygosoma forbesi, new species, pp. 343–344).
• Greer AE (1991). "Limb Reduction in Squamates: Identification of the Lineages and Discussion of the Trends". Journal of Herpetology 25 (2): 166–173. (Sphenomorphus forbesi, new combination).
• Smith MA (1937). "A Review of the Genus Lygosoma (Scincidae: Reptilia) and its Allies". Records of the Indian Museum 39 (3): 213–234.
• Whitaker, Rom; Whitaker, Zai; Mills, D. (1982). "Reptiles of Papua New Guinea". Wildlife in Papua New Guinea 82 (2): 1–53.