For more detailed description of color (often from preserved specimens), see Brown and Alcala (1980).
(Coloration in preservative; Brown and Alcala, 1980)
Dorsal Coloration: dark grayish-tan to olive, scattered dark brown-olive spots almost arranged as longitudinal rows
Ventral Coloration: head and throat grayish to slate, body grayish to bluish white
There are three species in the genus Emoia recognized to occur in the Philippines. One of these species, E. ruficauda, is recognized to be endemic to the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. The two other species, E. atrocostata and E. caeruleocauda, are considered widely distributed species complexes (Brown and Alcala, 1980). These two species likely include multiple, unique evolutionary lineages in need of recognition.
Species of Emoia are often observed around streams and bodies of water, with some species commonly found in mangrove swamps or coastal habitat (E. atrocostata) and other species observed in grass-dominated habitat near rivers (Emoia ruficauda) or rocky habitat near the coast (E. caeruleocauda) (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
Of the three species found in the Philippines, only E. atrocostata is considered a moderate-sized species, with E. ruficauda and E. caeruleocauda possessing smaller body sizes.
This species can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) Snout-vent length at maturity greater than 70 mm; (2) midbody scale rows 36-40; (3) 73-75 scale rows between parietals and base of tail; (4) 4th toe lamellae (rounded) 31-42; (5) interparietal relatively long and narrow; and (6) prefrontals large, in contact or narrowly separated. (Brown and Alcala, 1980)
This widespread species occurs throughout the East Indies and Pacific Basin, and is widely distributed in the Philippines, where it has been documented to occur on the islands of the Babuyan Island Group, Mindoro, Tablas, Negros, Caluya, Ponson, Pan de Azucar, Lapinig Chico, guimaras, Samar, Mindanao, Dinagat, Basilan, Bantayan, Bancoran, Palawan, and Poilllo.
In the Philippines, this species is associated with the Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Visayan (Central), and Palawan Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complexes (PAIC; Brown and Diesmos, 2002). Additionally, this species has been observed on many small isolated islands and island groups, including the islands of the Romblon Island Group and the Babuyan Island Group (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
This species is commonly observed in mangrove swamps, active above ground in mangrove trees, or bank rocks (Brown and Alcala, 1980). This species has also been observed along low brush and coastal habitat near the ocean (Siler et al., 2010).
Females have been observed to lay 2 eggs in tree holes or rotting stumps, with the egg shell whitish in color (Brown and Alcala, 1980). The eggs are roughly 20 mm in length, with newly hatched individuals measuring 33-39 mm snout-vent length (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
SVL 79.9-94.0 mm (Brown and Alcala, 1980)
Scincus atrocostatus, Lesson, 1830, Oualan (= Kusaie) Island, Caroline Island Archipelago, Micronesia; repository of type not known (Brown and Alcala, 1980). Mocoa cumingi, Gray, 1845, "Philippines," type in the British Museum of Natural History (BMNH 1946.8.6.86 (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
Emoia atrocostata, commonly known as the littoral whiptail-skink, mangrove skink, or littoral skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It inhabits mangroves, back-beach vegetation and rocky shorelines.[1] It is semi-aquatic and forages in tidal pools.[2][3]
The species can be distinguished from the similar many-lined sun skink by the lack of keeled scales on the dorsal surface of the Mangrove Skink. Its colour is grey or brown-grey, flecked with black. There is a faint black band along each side. The throat is often bluish, and the belly greenish or yellow to orange.[4]
E. atrocostata can be found on the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and in Queensland, Australia.
Emoia atrocostata, commonly known as the littoral whiptail-skink, mangrove skink, or littoral skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It inhabits mangroves, back-beach vegetation and rocky shorelines. It is semi-aquatic and forages in tidal pools.
