REPTILIA: SQUAMATA: SCINCIDAE: Sphenomorphus

Sphenomorphus muelleri

Müller's skink

Photos & text by Dr. Robert Sprackland, with data contributed by Dr. Glenn Shea, University of Sydney. Red morph specimen courtesy Ben Siegel Reptiles, Florida.

  
Specimen photographed at British Herpetological Supply Company.

Range: New Guinea.

Diagnosis: A large, smooth-bodied, cylindrical skink with a very acute snout. The tail is thick and covered in smooth scales. The forelimbs are tiny and widely separated from the hind limbs.

Description: Grows to a total length of 40 cm/10 inches.

Natural History: A secretive, burrowing species found in humid areas, generally near water. Very little is known of this species. The tail is somewhat prehensile.

Reproduction:

Taxonomy & Relationships: This species was originally placed in the genus Emoia. Relationships among southwest Pacific skinks is an active area of herpetological research, with Glenn Shea, Ross Sadlier, and Allen Greer as major participants in the field.

Variation: According to noted skink authority Dr. Glenn Shea, there are two predominant color morphs of this large species. The common black and brown form, shown at top of page (and as a rare print in the Museum Library and lower photo below), and the western reddish form seen below. The latter is devoid of pattern, and is light coral pink below.

Additional Comments:

Type Specimen:

 Literature: