SUMMARY

• PREVALENCE: Common

• ACTIVE PERIOD: Diurnal & Nocturnal

• KEY ID FEATURES: Brown body with black stripe down the side, yellow belly and around the cloaca, blue/white underside of tail

• BEHAVIOR: Found in forested locations around Hong Kong at mid to high elevation

• SIZE: 12cm

• IUCN: LC - Least Concerned

RANGE

GALLERY

IMPORTANT: Many skinks look similar and require experience to identify. Skinks also drop their tails readily if handled which is a stressful and energy intensive issue, so great care should be taken when interacting with these lizards in Hong Kong.

DESCRIPTION

The Reeves smooth forest skink is one of the most common species of skink in Hong Kong. They are brown on the dorsum. They have a large dorsolateral black stripe starting from the snout that extends down the sides of the tail. The stripe is interspersed with brown flecks. The stripe is relatively straight and largely unbroken along until part way down the tail. Flanks are pink or reddish pink from teh neck through the first thrid and light yellow or cream color through the hing limbs. The venter is white under the chin transitioning to light yellow on the belly that gets darker towards the cloaca. The underside of the tail is a bluish white.

BEHAVIOR

The Reeves smooth forest skink is most often diurnally active, but can be found at night. They tend to live and forage in the leaf litter, taking shelter under rocks and logs at night at during inclement weather. They feed on small invertebrates. Defensively, as with most skinks, they can readily drop their tails if attacked of harassed.

HABITAT

The species is regularly found in forested areas from low to relatively high elevation.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

The Reeves smooth forest skink look similar to the Indian forest skink. The Indian forest skink is much larger than the Reeves smooth forest skink reaching 22 cm vs the Reeves 12 cm when mature. The Reeves smooth forest skink also has pink or reddish pink coloration on the sides at the first third of the body.