Eutropis multifasciata, commonly known as the East Indian brown mabuya, the many-lined sun skink, the many-striped skink, or the common sun skink (and, rather ambiguously, as the golden skink), is a species of skink, a family of diurnal, terrestrial squamate (lizards and snakes) reptiles. The species has a vast range across much of South and Southeast Asia (south of the Himalayas), as it is known from the Indian Subcontinent in the west, eastward through mainland Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Eutropis multifasciata | |
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In Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Scincidae |
Genus: | Eutropis |
Species: | E. multifasciata
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Binomial name | |
Eutropis multifasciata (Kuhl, 1820)
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Synonyms[2] | |
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Description
editThis section may require copy editing for using complete English sentences instead of bullet point style writing. (August 2023) |
- See Snake scales for terminology.
Their snout is moderate to obtuse, and lower eyelid scaly. Nostril behind vertical of the suture between rostral and first labial; a postnasal; anterior loreal not deeper than the second, in contact with the first labial; supranasals frequently in contact behind rostral; frontonasal broader than long; prefrontals constantly forming a median suture; frontal as long as or shorter than the frontoparietals and interparietal together, in contact with the second (rarely also with the first) supraocular: 4 supraoculars, second largest; 6 supraciliaries, first largest; fronto-parietals distinct, larger than the interparietal, which entirely separates the parietals; a pair of nuchals, 4 labials anterior to the subocular, which is large and not narrower below. Ear-opening roundish or oval, as large as a lateral scale, or a little smaller, with or without a few very small lobules anteriorly. Dorsal scales more or less distinctly tri-(rarely quinque-) carinate: nuchals and laterals usually very feebly keeled, sometimes smooth; 30 to 34 scales round the middle of the body, subequal or dorsals largest. The hind limb reaches the wrist or the elbow of the adpressed fore limb. Subdigital lamellae smooth. Scales on upper surface of tibia mostly tricarinate. The tail is 1.3 to 1.6 times the length of the head and body. They are brown or olive above, with some specimens uniform or with a large whitish/red patch on each side of its body. Their backs have small black spots, sometimes confluenting into longitudinal lines. sides frequently dark brown, with whitish, black-edged ocelli; a well-defined light dorso-lateral band seldom present; lower surfaces yellowish or greenish white.[3]
Invasive species
editTaiwan
editEutropis multifasciata was first observed in Taiwan in 1992, in the southern Kaohsiung area.[4] It has since spread northward and established populations in the central-western and south-western lowlands.[5] The species has successfully adapted to Taiwan's agricultural areas, open forests, and human-disturbed areas.[5] It's high fecundity (reproductive ability) has enabled it to compete with other species for resources.[6] This is likely the cause of the decline in the populations of indigenous lizard species that occupy the same habitats as Eutropis multifasciata.[6] Since this species has a poor cold tolerance, its elevational distribution in Taiwan is restricted below 500 meters.[7] However, it is expected that in response to rising temperatures associated with climate change, this species will benefit from increased maximum activity time.[5] As a result, distribution of this species is expected to expand from lowland areas to higher elevations, especially if the landscape becomes more open.[5]
Distribution
edit- Bangladesh (Cox's Bazar, Gunabati, Lawachara, Madhabkunda, Rajkandi)[8]
- Brunei[9]
- Cambodia (Battambang, Phnomh Penh, Siem Reap)[10]
- China (Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan)[11]
- East Timor[12]
- India (Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, West Bengal)[13]
- Indonesia (Bali, Borneo, Java, Maluku, Riau, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Sumba, West Nusa Tenggara, West Papua)[14]
- Laos (Bokeo, Champasak, Khammouane, Luang Prabang, Salavan, Vientiane)[15]
- Japan (Ryukyu Islands; mostly Okinawa, Miyako, Yaeyama)
- Malaysia (most of the peninsula; Johor, Kedah, Sarawak, Tioman)[16]
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Philippines (Negros, Panay, Palawan, Calamian Islands, Luzon)
- Singapore
- Taiwan
- Thailand (most of the country, incl. Koh Pha-ngan, Koh Samui & Phuket)[17]
- Vietnam (most of the country, incl. Phu Quoc)[18]
References
edit- ^ Shea, G.; Allison, A.; Tallowin, O.; McGuire, J.; Iskandar, D.; Cai, B.; Wang, Y.; Yang, J.; Shang, G. (2018). "Eutropis multifasciata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T195295A2376842. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T195295A2376842.en. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ "Eutropis multifasciata (Kuhl, 1820)". The Reptile Database; reptarium.cz. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
- ^ Boulenger, G. A. (1890). "Reptilia and Batrachia". Fauna of British India.
- ^ Ota, H.; Chang, H.W.; Liu, K.C.; Hikida, T. (1994). "A new record of the viviparous skink, Mabuya multifasciata (Kuhl, 1820) (Squamata: Reptilia), from Taiwan". Zool. Stud. 33: 86–89.
- ^ a b c d Chen, T.Y.; Richard, R.; Lin, T.E.; Huang, S.P. (2021). "Landscape forest impacts the potential activity time of an invasive lizard and its possibilities for range expansion in Taiwan under climate warming". J. Therm. Biol. 98: 102948. doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102948. PMID 34016365. S2CID 234875549.
- ^ a b Lee, K.H.; Chen, T.H.; Shang, G.; Clulow, S.; Yang, Y.J.; Lin, S.M. (2019). "A check list and population trends of invasive amphibians and reptiles in Taiwan". ZooKeys (829): 85–130. doi:10.3897/zookeys.829.27535. PMC 6422934. PMID 30914838.
- ^ Lin, T.E.; Chen, T.Y.; Wei, H.L.; Richard, R.; Huang, S.P. (2019). "Low cold tolerance of the invasive lizard Eutropis multifasciata constrains its potential elevation distribution in Taiwan". J. Therm. Biol. 82: 115–122. doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.03.015. PMID 31128639. S2CID 132427936.
- ^ Bangladesh, Common sun skink (5 January 2020). "Observations • iNaturalist".
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Brunei, Common sun skink (4 October 2015). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Cambodia, Common sun skink (31 January 2015). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ China, common sun skink (5 August 2016). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ East Timor, common sun skink (14 July 2018). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ India, common sun skink (26 June 2014). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Indonesia, Common sun skink (28 February 2011). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Laos, common sun skink (30 June 2012). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Malaysia, Common sun skink (12 December 2014). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Thailand, Common sun skink (10 March 2012). "Observations • iNaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Vietnam, common sun skink (28 August 2013). "Observations • inaturalist".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- Annandale, Nelson (1905). "Contributions to Oriental Herpetology. Suppl. III. Notes on the Oriental lizards in the Indian Museum, with a list of the species recorded from British India and Ceylon". J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal. 2 (1): 139–151.
- Gray, J. E. (1853). "Descriptions of some undescribed species of reptiles collected by Dr. Joseph Hooker in the Khassia Mountains, East Bengal, and Sikkim Himalaya". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 2 (12): 386–392. doi:10.1080/00222936808695825.
- Kuhl, H. (1820). Kuhl, H. (ed.). "Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Amphibien". Beiträge zur Zoologie und Vergleichenden Anatomie (in German). Frankfurt a.M.: Hermannsche Buchhandlung: 75–132.
- Mausfeld, P.; Vences, M.; Schmitz, A.; Veith, M. (2000). "First data on the molecular phylogeography of scincid lizards of the genus Mabuya". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 17 (1): 11–14. doi:10.1006/mpev.2000.0809. PMID 11020300.
- Mausfeld, Patrick; Schmitz, Andreas (2003). "Molecular phylogeography, intraspecific variation and speciation of the Asian scincid lizard genus Eutropis Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Reptilia: Scincidae): taxonomic and biogeographic implications". Org. Divers. Evol. 3: 161–171. doi:10.1078/1439-6092-00068.