Geographic Variations in the Common Skink Sphenomorphus maculatus (Blyth, 1853) in Thailand, with Re-validation of Lygosoma mitanense Annandale, 1905 as Its Subspecies

Authors

  • TAKESHI YAMASAKI Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8502, JAPAN
  • TSUTOMU HIKIDA Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8502, JAPAN
  • JARUJIN NABHITABHATA Reference Collection Division, National Science Museum, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, THAILAND
  • SOMSAK PANHA Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, THAILAND
  • HIDETOSHI OTA Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, JAPAN

Keywords:

Sphenomorphus maculatus, Lygosoma mitanense, geographic variations, principal component analysis, taxonomy

Abstract

Sphenomorphus maculatus (Blyth, 1854) is a common skink broadly distributed in Thailand and adjacent regions. Geographic variations were analysed for meristic and morphometric characters of this species by principal component analyses. Results of the analyses consistently indicated differentiation of the species into two regional forms, one from eastern India, southern China and northern Thailand, and the other from southern Myan- mar and southern Thailand. We recognized them as distinct subspecies, S. m. maculatus (Blyth, 1854) and S. m. mitanensis (Annandale, 1905) comb. nov., respectively, using conditions of a few head scales as diagnostic charac- ters. Lygosoma melanochlorum Vogt, 1932 was assumed to be a junior synonym of the latter.

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Published

2001-08-01

How to Cite

[1]
YAMASAKI, T., HIKIDA, T., NABHITABHATA, J., PANHA, S. and OTA, H. 2001. Geographic Variations in the Common Skink Sphenomorphus maculatus (Blyth, 1853) in Thailand, with Re-validation of Lygosoma mitanense Annandale, 1905 as Its Subspecies. Tropical Natural History. 1, 1 (Aug. 2001), 23–31.

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2001): The Natural History Journal of Chulalongkorn University

Section

Original Articles

License

Chulalongkorn University. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher