For more detailed description of color (often from preserved specimens), see Brown and Alcala (1980).
(Coloration in preservative; Brown and Alcala, 1980)
Dorsal Coloration: pale yellowish to yellowish-green anteriorly
Ventral Coloration: undersurface of head whitish, flecked with brown, venter pale yellowish-green, becoming more yellowish on tail
All species in the genus can generally be described as slender, small species of skinks (= lizards), with well-developed but slender limbs. All species possess some degree of longitudinal stripes or bands down their dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces. Previous taxonomic assessments of Philippine species in this genus recognized two distinct species groups, one group containing species with the external ear opening covered by scales, and the other group containing species with exposed tympanum (see Brown and Alcala, 1980). Several of the eight currently recognized species are likely complexes of unique, albeit morphologically similar species, and large scale taxonomic revisions are needed before an appropriate measure of species diversity can be made.
This species has traditionally been considered a member of Group 1 species in the genus Lipinia in the Philippines, with tympanum covered by scales and the position of the ear noticeable only by a small depression in the scales. This species likely includes multiple, unique evolutionary lineages in need of recognition.
Lipinia quadrivittata can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) tympanum covered by scales; (2) position of ear evidenced only by a depression; (3) snout-vent length at maturity less than 45 mm; (4) light and dark dorsal longitudinal bands evident on head, neck, and full length of trunk; and (5) number of midbody scale rows 18-20 (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
This species is recognized to occur in Borneo, the Little Bovenen Islands, and the Philippines. In the Philippines, this species is widely distributed, and has been recorded from the islands of Palawan, Mindanao, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Camiguin, Bohol, and Siquijor.
In the Philippines, this species is associated with the Palawan, Visayan (Central), and Mindanao Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complexes (PAIC; Brown and Diesmos, 2002).
SVL 31.0-45.8 mm (Brown and Alcala, 1980)
Mindanao Island, Philippines; type probably in the Zoologische Museum, Berlin
The four-striped lipinia or black-striped slender tree skink (Lipinia quadrivittata) is a species of skink.[2]
Indonesia (Borneo, Celebes), Sunda Region (Borneo), Philippines (Palawan), Sula Islands, south Thailand (Bukit Besar, Patani states), and India
The four-striped lipinia or black-striped slender tree skink (Lipinia quadrivittata) is a species of skink.
