Thai National Parks

Reptiles of Thailand

Species of Thailand

Variable sun skink

Binomial name: Eutropis macularia, Edward Blyth, 1853

The bronze grass skink or bronze mabuya (Eutropis macularia) is a species of skink found in South and Southeast Asia. (Bengali names: তামাটে অঞ্জন, ব্রোঞ্জ অঞ্জন, আরজিনা, আঞ্জন, আঞ্চন, আনজিলা, আঁচিলা).

Description

Physical structure: Body cylindrical, dorsal scales with 5-8 keels, ventral scales smooth; 28-30 scales round the body. A pair of dorso-lateral bands starts from above the eye till the base of the tail. As with other Eutropis species the scales are keeled.

Color pattern: Deep-brown, olive or bronze-brown in color; dorso-lateral bands light or yellow; sometimes with black spots on the base of the tail. Breeding males have orange color on the lateral side of the body. Juveniles are grey with a bronze head.

Length: Maximum: 23 cm, common: 16 cm (SVL 7 cm).

Distribution

This skink is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia (northwestern), Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand & Vietnam. Type locality is Rangpur, Bengal on humans & ecology==

No known human uses. Plays a role in ecosystem by eating various types of insects and otherwise.

Threat to humans

Non-venomous and harmless to humans. May bite when handled, but is not dangerous.

IUCN threat status

Not Evaluated (NE).

Interesting notes

Can break off its own tail when grabbed by predators; the tail regenerative and will grow back over time.

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Scientific classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Suborder
Lacertilia
Family
Scincidae
Genus
Eutropis
Species
Eutropis macularia

Common names

  • German: Gefleckte Mabuye
  • English:
    • Bronze mabuya
    • Bronze skink
    • Grass sun skink
    • Allapalli grass skink
    • Variable sun skink

Subspecies

  • Eutropis macularia macularia, Edward Blyth, 1853

  • Eutropis macularia malcolmi, Edward Harrison Taylor & Robert E. Elbel, 1958

    Range: Type locality: Phu Phak Khi Nak (mt.), near Ban Nam Yen (subvillage), Kok Sathon (village), Dan Sai (district), Loei (province), Thailand.

  • Eutropis macularia postnasalis, Edward Harrison Taylor & Robert E. Elbel, 1958

    Range: Thailand; Type locality: From Phu Lorn Lo (mt.), 2100m elevation, Kok Sathon (village), Dan Sai (district), Loei (province), Thailand.

  • Eutropis macularia quadrifasciata, Edward Harrison Taylor & Robert E. Elbel, 1958

    Range: Thailand; Type locality: Phu Nam Lang (mt.),

Synonyms

  • Mabuya allapallensis, Pratyush Patankar et al. (2014)
  • Eutropis allapallensis, Aniruddha Datta-Roy et al. (2012)
  • Eutropis macularius, T.S.N. Murthy (2010)
  • Eutropis macularia, P. Dilip Venugopal (2010)
  • Mabuya macularia macularia, Vladimir V. Bobrov & Dmitry V. Semenov (2008)
  • Mabuya macularia, Roberto Sindaco & Valery K. Jeremčenko (2008)
  • Eutropis macularius, Larry Lee Grismer et al. (2007)
  • Mabuya macularius, Raju Vajubhai Vyas (2007)
  • Mabuya allapallensis, Raju Vajubhai Vyas (2007)
  • Eutropis macularia, Patrick Mausfeld et al. (2002)
  • Eutropis allapallensis, Patrick Mausfeld et al. (2002)
  • Mabuya macularia, Thomas Ziegler (2002)
  • Mabuya macularia, Allen Eddy Greer & Ronald Archie Nussbaum (2000)
  • Mabuya macularia, Merel J. Cox et al. (1998)
  • Mabuya macularia, Ulrich Manthey & Wolfgang Grossmann (1997)
  • Mabuya macularius, Indraneil Das (1996)
  • Mabuya allapallensis, Indraneil Das (1996)
  • Mabuya macularia, Edward Harrison Taylor (1963)
  • Mabuya allapallensis, Malcolm Arthur Smith (1935)
  • Mabuya macularia, Malcolm Arthur Smith (1935)
  • Mabuya allapallensis, Karl Patterson Schmidt (1926)
  • Lygosoma dawsoni, Nelson Annandale (1909)
  • Mabuia macularia, George Albert Boulenger (1887)
  • Euprepes macularius var. subunicolor, William Thomas Blanford (1879)
  • Euprepes brevis, Albert Charles Lewis Günther (1875)
  • Euprepes macularius, John Anderson (1871)
  • Euprepes rufescens, Albert Charles Lewis Günther (1864)
  • Tiliqua macularia, Edward Blyth (1856)
  • Euprepes macularius, Edward Blyth (1853)
  • Mabuya macularia, Edward Blyth (1853)

Species in same genus

Bronze grass skink

Bronze grass skink

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported

Distribution map of Variable sun skink, Eutropis macularia in Thailand

Range map of Eutropis macularia in Thailand

Important note; our range maps are based on limited data we have collected. The data is not necessarily accurate or complete.

Special thanks to Ton Smits and Parinya Pawangkhanant for their help with many range data.

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