Sphenomorphus solomonis (BOULENGER, 1887)
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Sphenomorphus solomonis?
Sphenomorphus solomonis
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Lygosoma solomonis BOULENGER 1887: 510 Lygosoma (Homolepida) brevipes BOETTGER 1895 (fide GREER & PARKER 1974) Lygosoma schoedei VOGT 1912 Lygosoma moszkowskii VOGT 1912: 357 Lygosoma (Homolepida) eremita WERNER 1913: 20 (?, HALLERMANN, pers. comm.) Lygosoma schoedei — DE ROOIJ 1915: 225 Lygosoma moszkowskii — DE ROOIJ 1915: 187 Lygosoma (Lygosoma) solomonis — STERNFELD 1918: 419 Sphenomorphus solomonis — BURT & BURT 1932 Lygosoma (Ictiscincus) solomonis — SMITH 1937: 222 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) brevipes — BRONGERSMA 1948: 490 Lygosoma solomonis schodei — DAAN & HILLENIUS 1966: 132 Sphenomorphus moszkowskii — GREER & PARKER 1967 Sphenomorphus solomonis — MYS 1988: 145 Sphenomorphus solomonis — ADLER, AUSTIN & DUDLEY 1995 Sphenomorphus brevipes — SETIADI & HAMIDY 2006 Sphenomorphus moskowskii [sic] — WWW 2008 |
| Distribution | Admirality Islands, northern Moluccas, Solomon Islands, New Guinea (fide SMITH 1937), Bismarck Archipelago schoedei: Type locality: Valise [Walis Island, Province East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. brevipes: Halmahera; Morotai; Type locality: Soa Konorra, Halmaheira, Molukken. |
| Reproduction | Oviparous. |
| Types | Syntypes: BMNH 1948.8.3.35-37 (formerly 87.1.24.10-12), Faro I., Solomons, collected C.M. Woodford. Lectotypus: SMF 15473 [Lygosoma brevipes] Syntypes: MCZ R-37206, MWNH 3090, CAS 64260 [schoedei] Holotype: ZMB 22606 [moszkowskii] |
| Diagnosis | Description: Snout short, obtuse; lower eyelid scaly; ear-opening oval, a little smaller than the eye-opening, no lobules. Nostril in the nasal; no supranasals ; frontonasal more broad than long, in contact with the rostral and with the frontal; praefrontals small and separated ; frontal broader than the supraocular region, about as long as frontoparietals and interparietal together, in contact with the two anterior supraoculars; four supra- oculars; seven supraciliaries; frontoparietals a little larger than the interparietal; parietals in contact; four to six pair of nuchals; fourth or fifth labial entering the orbit. Body long, the distance between the tip of the snout and the fore limb is contained one time and three fifths to one time and two thirds in that between axilla and groin; 24 or 26 smooth scales round the middle, the two vertebral series largest; praeanals enlarged. Tail thick, one time and one third the length of head and body. Limbs short, not meeting when adpressed; digits short, fourth toe with 15-17 smooth lamellae below. Coloration: Brown above, dotted with blackish. Lower parts pale brownish, dotted with brown. Size: Length of head and body 57 mm.; tail 78 mm (de Rooij 1915: 219). Description (moszkowskii): Snout obtuse; lower eyelid scaly; ear-opening almost as large as the eye, no lobules. Nostril in the nasal; no supranasals; one anterior loreal; frontonasal as broad as long, in contact with the rostral and with the frontal; latter as long as the frontoparietals; five supraoculars; seven supraciliaries; frontoparietals a little longer than the interparietal; parietals in contact; a pair of small nuchals and a pair of temporals; fifth and sixth upper labials largest, below the eye. Body slender, covered with 28 smooth scales, the two vertebral series largest; praeanals enlarged. Tail one time and a half the length of head and body. Limbs not meeting when adpressed; digits moderate, fourth toe with 18 lamellae below. Blackish-brown above, snout yellowish; lower labials with vertical stripes. Lower parts yellowish. Length of head and body 31 mm.; tail 45 mm (text from DE ROOIJ 1915 but quoted to be after VOGT 1912). |
| Comment | Synonymy: mostly after GREER & PARKER 1974: 56 who also state that “the type of Lygosoma moszkowski Vogt 1912 is a small New Guinea solomonis with light snout coloration.” Types: The type of Lygosoma (Homolepida) eremita WERNER 1913 has been lost, hence it is impossible to determine its identity with certainty. |
| Etymology | Named after the type locality. Lygosoma moszkowskii was named after Dr. Moszkowski. |
| References |
|
| External links |