The Leyte sphenomorphus (''Pinoyscincus llanosi'') is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Ski ...
, a
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Scincidae. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Etymology
The specific name, ''llanosi'', is in honor of Dominican priest Father
Florencio Llanos, who was Director of the
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...
, Philippines.
[ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ]
. (''Sphenomorphus llanosi'', p. 160).
Geographic range
''P. llanosi'' is found in the central Philippines, on the islands
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
and
Samar
Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
.
[
]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s of ''P. llanosi'' are freshwater wetlands
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
and forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
, at altitudes of .[
]
Description
Adults of ''P. llanosi'' have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about .[
]
Reproduction
The mode of reproduction of ''P. llanosi'' is unknown.[
]
References
Further reading
* Brown WC, Alcala AC (1980). ''Philippine Lizards of the Family Scincidae''. Dumaguete, Philippines: Silliman University Natural Science Monograph Series. x + 246 pp. (''Sphenomorphus llanosi'', p. 212).
* Linkem CW, Diesmos AC, Brown RM (2011). "Molecular systematics of the Philippine forest skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: ''Sphenomorphus''): testing morphological hypotheses of interspecific relationships". ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 163: 1217–1243. (''Pinoyscincus llanosi'', new combination).
* Smith MA (1937). "A Review of the Genus ''Lygosoma'' (Scincidae: Reptilia) and its Allies". ''Records of the Indian Museum'' 39 (3): 213–234. (''Otosaurus llanosi'', new combination, p. 218).
* Taylor EH (1919). "New or rare Philippine reptiles". ''Philippine Journal of Science'' 14: 105–125 + Plates I–II. (''Sphenomorphus llanosi'', new species, pp. 121–123 + Plate II).
Pinoyscincus
Reptiles described in 1919
Taxa named by Edward Harrison Taylor
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