Eutropis cf. multifasciata (Kuhl, 1820)

Kaiser, Hinrich, Carvalho, Venancio Lopes, Ceballos, Jester, Freed, Paul, Heacox, Scott, Lester, Barbara, Richards, Stephen J., Trainor, Colin R., Sanchez, Caitlin & O'Shea, Mark, 2011, The herpetofauna of Timor-Leste: a first report, ZooKeys 109, pp. 19-86 : 39

Eutropis cf. multifasciata (Kuhl, 1820) Fig. 17

Common names.

(E) Common Sun Skink, Many-lined Sun Skink. *(T) Mamór loro ( mamór = skink, loro = sun).

Identification.

Skinks of the genus Eutropis are among the most robust lizards in Timor-Leste, following in size only Varanus timorensis and Gekko gecko . They can be identified by their brown dorsal coloration, smooth scales, and brownish black lateral blotches ( Fig. 17 ).

Collection and natural history.

We collected two specimens of a very robust form of Eutropis that closely resembles Eutropis multifasciata . Because of the limited size of our sample and because of observable differences between specimens from Timor-Leste and those from other parts of Southeast Asia, we report these specimens as Eutropis cf. multifasciata pending a more thorough morphological and genetic analysis. Both specimens were collected during the day while foraging in grassy vegetation.

Taxonomic comment.

Until the genus Eutropis was proposed for Asian members of the former circumtropical scincid genus Mabuya ( Mausfeld and Schmitz 2003), this taxon was known as Mabuya multifasciata .

Figures

Figure 17. Eutropis cf. multifasciata. Male (not captured, TL ca. 225 mm) from Lospalos, Lautem District. Photo by Stephen Richards.