Wildlifeof Bhutan
Sphenomorphus maculatus
Skinks & Lacertids
Photo: no rights reserved · CC0
Sphenomorphus maculatus
Basic stats
Diet
Small insects and invertebrates
Habitat
Near streams and small rivers in lowland and hilly areas
Range
China, South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Bhutan and Nepal
Size
Common 17cm; maximum 19cm; snout to vent about 6cm
The spotted forest skink, also called the stream-side skink, has a tapered tail twice as long as the snout-to-vent length. The upper side of the head, body and tail is brown with smooth scales and faint darker markings, and below the dark flank stripe is a mottled zone of yellowish and brown spots. It is non-venomous and harmless to people (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is terrestrial and nocturnal, living near streams and small rivers in lowland and hilly areas, foraging among rocks and vegetation at the water's edge for small insects and invertebrates. Courtship is strictly ritualised and begins in April to June. It is found from Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh east to China and Southeast Asia.
Quick answers
- What does the Sphenomorphus maculatus eat?
- Small insects and invertebrates
- What habitat does the Sphenomorphus maculatus live in?
- Near streams and small rivers in lowland and hilly areas
- Where is the Sphenomorphus maculatus found?
- China, South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Bhutan and Nepal
- How big is the Sphenomorphus maculatus?
- Common 17cm; maximum 19cm; snout to vent about 6cm