Otosaurus cumingi

Otosaurus cumingi, commonly called Cuming's sphenomorphus or the Luzon giant forest skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.

Otosaurus cumingi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Otosaurus Gray, 1845
Species:	O. cumingi
Binomial name
Otosaurus cumingi Gray, 1845
Sphenomorphus cumingi distribution
Synonyms[2]
Otosaurus cumingii Gray, 1845 Euprepes otus W. Peters, 1867 Lygosoma cumingii — Boulenger, 1887 Otosaurus cumingii — Taylor, 1923 Sphenomorphus cumingi — Greer & F. Parker, 1967 Otosaurus cumingi — Linkem, Diesmos & R.M. Brown, 2011

Etymology

The specific name, cumingi, is in honor of English naturalist Hugh Cuming.[3]

Habitat

It is found up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level in the forests throughout most of the Philippines.[1]

Description

The Luzon giant forest skink reaches a total length (including tail) of 35 cm (14 inches).[4]

Behavior

It tends to hide under leaves and logs.[1][4][5]

References

1. Brown R, Rico E (2009). "Sphenomorphus cumingi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T169822A6678580.en
2. "Otosaurus cumingi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sphenomorphus cumingi, p. 62).
4. Third Quarter Topical Issue – Philippine Endemic Lizards. phlpost.gov.ph (July 20, 2011)
5. Sphenomorphus cumingi Cuming's Sphenomorphus. Encyclopedia of Life

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Lygosoma cumingii, p. 249 + Plate XVI, figure 2).
• Gray JE (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Otosaurus cumingii, new species, p. 93).