Otosaurus

Otosaurus cumingii, commonly called Cuming's sphenomorphus or the Luzon giant forest skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.

Otosaurus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Otosaurus
Gray, 1845
Species:
O. cumingii
Binomial name
Otosaurus cumingii
Gray, 1845
Sphenomorphus cumingii distribution
Synonyms[2]

Etymology

The specific name, cumingii, is in honor of English naturalist Hugh Cuming.[3]

Habitat

O. cumingii is found up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level in the forests throughout most of the Philippines.[1]

Description

The Luzon giant forest skink reaches a total length (including tail) of 35 cm (14 inches).[4]

Behavior

O. cumingii tends to hide under leaves and logs.[1][4][5]

References
  1. Brown R, Rico E (2009). "Sphenomorphus cumingi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T169822A6678580.en
  2. Species Otosaurus cumingii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  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 cumingi, p. 62).
  4. Third Quarter Topical Issue – Philippine Endemic Lizards. phlpost.gov.ph (July 20, 2011)
  5. Sphenomorphus cumingi Cuming's Sphenomorphus. Encyclopedia of Life

Further reading
  • Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Lygosoma cumingii, p. 249 + Plate XVI, figure 2).
  • Gray JE (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Otosaurus cumingii, new species, p. 93).
  • Linkem CW, Diesmos AC, Brown RM (2011). "Molecular systematics of the Philippine forest skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Sphenomorphus): testing morphological hypotheses of interspecific relationships". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163: 1217–1243. (Otosaurus cumingii, new combination).



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