For more detailed description of color (often from preserved specimens), see Brown and Alcala (1980).
(Coloration in preservative; Brown and Alcala, 1980)
Dorsal Coloration: dark brown, 3 narrow, light bluish to bluish-while stripes
Ventral Coloration: dirty gray or bluish-ivory
There are three species in the genus Emoia recognized to occur in the Philippines. One of these species, E. ruficauda, is recognized to be endemic to the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. The two other species, E. atrocostata and E. caeruleocauda, are considered widely distributed species complexes (Brown and Alcala, 1980). These two species likely include multiple, unique evolutionary lineages in need of recognition.
Species of Emoia are often observed around streams and bodies of water, with some species commonly found in mangrove swamps or coastal habitat (E. atrocostata) and other species observed in grass-dominated habitat near rivers (Emoia ruficauda) or rocky habitat near the coast (E. caeruleocauda) (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
Of the three species found in the Philippines, only E. atrocostata is considered a moderate-sized species, with E. ruficauda and E. caeruleocauda possessing smaller body sizes.
This species can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) Snout-vent length at maturity less than 60 mm; (2) midbody scale rows 30-32; (3) 54-60 scale rows between parietals and base of tail; (4) 4th toe lamellae 37-44 (rounded); (5) interparietal fuesd with frontoparietals; (6) dorsal color pattern marked by narrow, light longitudinal stripes; and (7) tail bluish. (Brown and Alcala, 1980)
In the Philippines, this species has been recorded from the small island of Comiran, between Palawan Island and Borneo, the small island of Tulian near Jolo Island in the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines, and the Zamboanga Peninsula of Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines. However, Brown and Alcala (1980) stated that the identification of the Zamboanga population was tentative and was possibly in error.
In the Philippines, this species is associated with small islands between Borneo and the Palawan and Mindanao Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complexes (PAIC; Brown and Diesmos, 2002). It is tentatively recognized from the far western portion of the Mindanao PAIC; however, this population has not been closely examined to confirm its identity as E. caeruleocauda (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
The population from Tulian Island has been observed on rocky outcrops near the coast (Taylor, 1922; Brown and Alcala, 1980).
SVL 39.8-50.6 mm (Brown and Alcala, 1980)
Sudest Island (= Tagula Island) off eastern coast of New Guinea; repository of type not known.
Emoia caeruleocauda, commonly known as the Pacific bluetail skink or Pacific blue-tail skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific.[1][2]
E. caeruleocauda is found widespread from eastern Indonesia (from Sulawesi to east and south) through southern Philippines and New Guinea (Western New Guinea and Papua New Guinea) and the Solomon Islands northward into the Marianas, Carolines, and Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Fiji Islands, Vanuatu, and Guam.[1][2] It has been reported from Borneo[1][2] but the IUCN considers this doubtful.[1]
Emoia caeruleocauda is essentially terrestrial but it can ascend to forage in low scrub and climb a little distance up tree trunks. It is a lowland species that still can be found as high as 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.[1]
Emoia caeruleocauda, commonly known as the Pacific bluetail skink or Pacific blue-tail skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific.
