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Sphenomorphus sanctus (DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1839)

IUCN Red List - Sphenomorphus sanctus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaScincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesSphenomorphus sanctus tenggeranus MERTENS 1957
Sphenomorphus sanctus sanctus (DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839) 
Common NamesE: Java Forest Skink
G: Java-Waldskink 
SynonymGongylus (Lygosoma) sancta DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 730
Hinulia sancta — GRAY 1845: 76
Lygosoma sanctum — BOULENGER 1887: 243
Lygosoma sanctum — WEBER 1890:
Lygosoma (Hinulia) sanctum — BOETTGER 1892: 119
Lygosoma sanctum — OUDEMANS 1894: 141
Lygosoma sanctum — DE ROOIJ 1915: 188
Lygosoma sanctum — DAMMERMAN 1929
Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) sanctum — SMITH 1937: 219
Sphenomorphus sanctus — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 282
Sphenomorphus sanctus — GRISMER 2006

Sphenomorphus sanctus tenggeranus MERTENS 1957
Sphenomorphus sanctus tenggeranus MERTENS 1957: 26
Sphenomorphus sanctus tenggeranus — DAS 2010: 249 
DistributionIndonesia (Java, Sumatra), Peninsular Malaysia (fide SMITH 1937: 219 and CHAN-ARD et al. 1999)

Type locality: Java

tenggeranus: East Java; Type locality: “Tengger-Gebirge, 1200 m [elevation], O-Java”.  
Reproduction 
TypesHolotype: MNHN-RA 7116 (Java, from Leyden Museum)
Holotype: SMF 14470 [tenggeranus] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 1669 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSubspecies: The subspecific status of tenggeranus remains unclear.

Diagnose (tenggeranus): Von der typischen Rasse verschieden durdi 4 dunkle, vollig kcintinuierliche Langsbander; das vertebrale helle Langsband ist ebenso hell wie das dorsolaterale Paar (Mertens 1957). 
EtymologyPresumably from the Latin adjective sanctus (holy, sacred). Duméril & Bibron described the species in 1839 from a specimen from Java received from the Leyden Museum, with the name Scincus sanctus associated already with the specimen, and give no derivation. The specimen used by Duméril & Bibron was originally collected during the First Dutch Natuurkundige Commissie, and the name associated with Heinrich Kuhl, who died on the expedition in 1821. The name was also mentioned by Heinrich Boie, who led the Second Commissie, and in preparation for that, compiled a manuscript, the Érpetologie de Java, based on specimens in Leiden collected by the First Commissie. I am hoping that there might be something in Boie’s manuscript – this is now being prepared for publication by the SSAR, along with the plates that were prepared for it. I suspect the name will be something to do with the coloration. The species has a characteristic pale vertebral stripe edged in black that extends onto the head, where it expands into a diamond-shaped spot, also edged in black – very similar to a sceptre, the symbol of royalty and the church. 
References
  • Boettger, O. 1892. Listen von Kriechtieren und Lurchen aus dem tropischen Asien und aus Papuasien. Ber. Tät. Offenb. Ver. Nat., Offenbach, 29 - 32: 65 - 164 - get paper here
  • Brygoo, E.R. 1985. Les types des scincidés (Reptiles, Sauriens) du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, catalogue critique. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. (4e sér.) 7 (sect. A 3), suppl.: 1-126
  • Chan-ard,T.; Grossmann,W.; Gumprecht,A. & Schulz,K. D. 1999. Amphibians and reptiles of peninsular Malaysia and Thailand - an illustrated checklist [bilingual English and German]. Bushmaster Publications, Würselen, Gemany, 240 pp. [book review in Russ. J Herp. 7: 87] - get paper here
  • Dammerman, K.W. 1929. On the zoogeography of Java. Treubia 11: 1-88 - get paper here
  • Duméril, A. M. C. and G. Bibron. 1839. Erpétologie Générale on Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Vol. 5. Roret/Fain et Thunot, Paris, 871 pp. - get paper here
  • Glässer-Trobisch, Andrea & Dietmar Trobisch 2023. Bei Reisbauern in Ostjava – auf der Suche nach der Gestreiften Fischnatter (Xenochrophis vittatus). Elaphe 2023 (6): 54
  • Grismer, L. Lee 2006. Two new species of skinks (Genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843) from the Seribuat Archipelago, West Malaysia. Herpetological Natural History 9 (2): 151-162.
  • Grismer, L. Lee. 2008. A new species of insular skink (Genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843) from the Langkawi Archipelago, Kedah, West Malaysia with the first report of the herpetofauna of Pulau Singa Besar and an updated checklist of the herpetofauna of Pulau Langkawi. Zootaxa 1691: 53-66 - get paper here
  • Grismer, L.L. 2007. A new species of small montane forest floor skink (genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843) form Southern peninsular Malaysia. Herpetologica 63 (4): 544-551 - get paper here
  • Grismer, L.L.; Ahmad, N. & Kin Onn, C. 2009. A new, diminutive, upland Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843 (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Peninsular Malaysia. Zootaxa 2312: 27–38 - get paper here
  • Grismer, L.L.; Wood Jr., P.L. & Grismer, J.L. 2009. A New Insular Species of Skink of the Genus Sphenomorphus Strauch 1887 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Pulau Perhentian Besar, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Tropical Life Sciences Research, 20(1): 51–69 - get paper here
  • Iskandar D. 1994. New scincid lizard of the genus Sphenomorphus (Reptilia, Scincidae), from Java [S. puncticentralis]. Treubia 31 (1): 25-30. - get paper here
  • Kopstein, F. 1938. Ein Beitrag zur Eierkunde und zur Fortpflanzung der Malaiischen Reptilien. Bull. Raffles Mus. No 14: 81-167
  • Linkem, C.W.; Diesmos, A.C.; Brown, R.M. 2010. A NEW SPECIES OF SCINCID LIZARD (GENUS SPHENOMORPHUS) FROM PALAWAN ISLAND, PHILIPPINES. Herpetologica 66 (1): 67–79 - get paper here
  • Manthey, U. & Grossmann, W. 1997. Amphibien & Reptilien Südostasiens. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 512 pp. (ISBN 3-931587-12-6) - get paper here
  • MEGANTARA, E. N., JAUHAN, J., SHANIDA, S. S., HUSODO, T., FAUZI, D. A., HENDRAWAN, R., WULANDARI, I. & YUANSAH, Y. 2022. Herpetofauna distribution in different land cover types of West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 23(6) - get paper here
  • Mertens, R. 1957. Zur Herpetofauna von Ostjava und Bali. Senckenbergiana biologica 38: 23-31
  • Milto, K. D. 2025. Underestimated Herpetodiversity of Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java, Indonesia. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 32(1), 60-72 - get paper here
  • Milto, Konstantin D.; Yury A. Lukin 2020. A Revised Herpetofauna of Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java, Indonesia. Russian Journal of Herpetology 27 (6): 353-368 - get paper here
  • Oudemans, J. Th. 1894. Eidechsen und Schildkröten. In Semon, R. Zoologische Forschungsreisen in Australien und dem Malayischen Archipel. Denkschriften der Medicinisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft zu Jena, 8:127—146 - get paper here
  • Smith, M.A. 1937. A review of the genus Lygosoma (Scincidae: Reptilia) and its allies. Records of the Indian Museum 39 (3): 213-234
  • ter Borg, J. 2005. Mariene herpetologie en enkele andere herpetologische waarnemingen op en rond Bali, Lombok en Komodo (Indonesië). Lacerta 63 (6): 242-256 - get paper here
  • TEYNIÉ, ALEXANDRE; PATRICK DAVID, & ANNEMARIE OHLER 2010. Note on a collection of Amphibians and Reptiles from Western Sumatra (Indonesia), with the description of a new species of the genus Bufo. Zootaxa 2416: 1–43 - get paper here
  • Weber, M. 1890. Reptilia from the Malay Archipelago. 1. Sauria, Crocodylidae, Chelonia. In: Zoologische Ergebnisse einer Reise in Niederländisch Ost-Indien 1: 158-177. M. Weber (Ed.). E. J. Brill, Leiden. - get paper here
 
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