Emerald tree skink, "green tree skink", "emerald green skink"
The emerald tree skink (Lamprolepis smaragdina ), sometimes (ambiguously) known as "green tree skink" or "emerald green skink". It is a non-threatened species although it not commonly seen but it is, however, becoming more and more popular in the exotic pet trade. In the Philippines, it is called Tabili in the Cebuano language.
It is known as 'kuka' in the Kotos Amarasi language of West Timor, Indonesia.
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
L
starts withThe emerald tree skink is generally bright lime green in color, with large black eyes rimmed with yellow. However, their rear limbs or the lower half of their body may be medium brown with white speckling. In some cases, the entire body is brown or speckled with black. They are generally between 8.5-10" in total length.
It is found in arboreal forests of Taiwan, Palawan, Luzon and Sulu archipelagoes in the Philippines, New Guinea as well as the Indo-Australian archipelago and down south to the Solomon and Santa Cruz islands.
The emerald tree skink is frequently found in palm plantations in disturbed coastal areas.
They prefer bare tree trunks without climbing plants. Several have even been sighted on minute islands with very little greenery, the record being four palm trees. It is a highly active species. Always on the move and is very squirmy if handled. They are an unaggressive species and sometimes observed to form little groups to gang up on bigger prey.
