Added 11 August 2002. Last updated 24 March 2013: added Taxonomic Update 2014.
Formerly one of the largest genera of any reptile group, Mabuya species can be found in Asia, Africa and South America, being absent only from Europe and Australia (but see Taxonomic Update of 2004, below). While all the species are a similar shape, coloration varies widely while reproduction may be either oviparous, viviparous or even both within a single species.
Within the pet trade, various Mabuya species are often offered for sale. Their needs are fairly simple, but there is often confusion over to the correct identification of individuals owing to the sheer number of species. Although there seems to be a temptation to regard them as cheap pets, these are often attractive skinks that are straightforward to care for, and they deserve more attention from hobbyists.
The following features are common to the genus: well-developed limbs, each with five toes: long, tapering tails: large eyes, each with movable eyelid that may have a transparent window: distinct ear openings, often deeply sunk. Nostril pierces a single nasal: supranasals and prefrontals are present. Scales are cycloid and overlapping, usually keeled but may be smooth. Preanal and femoral pores are absent.
Grzimek notes that Mabuya species are often found in tropical rainforests on SE Asian islands with the species of the related genus Sphenomorphus. This is possible because both occupy somewhat different ecological niches and have different arthropod prey.
This page is very much an ongoing work, owing to the large number of species and their geographical diversity, which entails tracking down a number of sources, plus taxonomic changes (see below).
Dr Andreas Schmidt was recently kind enough to send me some updated details on the taxonomy of this large genus.
The gist of the changes is that a large number of species, based on their distribution, are removed from Mabuya and reassigned to new genera:
Chioninia for those species from Cape Verde
Euprepis for African species
Eutropis for Asian species
South American species will remain as Mabuya
Needless to say, this is a huge change, although not unprecedented in taxonomy, and will take a little while to become part of the mainstream, although as far as I am aware the change is not disputed. Therefore we have set up pages for the new genera with the list of reassigned species, but also added a page with all the current and former Mabuya species listed as per the old classification. This seems the safest course, as much current literature, including books printed this century, use the traditional assignments.
In 2012 S Blair Hedges and Caitlin E Conn proposed a new skink fauna from the Caribbean Islands. This was based on conventional and unconventional morphological characters and DNA sequence analyses. Hedges and Conn proposed breaking down the genus Mabuya into 61 species in 16 genera as follows: Alinea, Aspronema, Brasiliscincus, Capitellum, Copeoglossum, Exila, Mabuya, Maracaiba, Marisora, Notomabuya, Orosaura, Panopa, Psychosaura, Spondylurus and Varzea. This again is a fairly major revision and we will wait to see what happens over the next year or so before incorporating these changes on to this site. However readers should be aware of these proposals.
Belatedly I have become aware that Aaron M Bauer, in the article “On the identity of lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758, the type species of the genus Euprepis Wagler 1830, and the generic assignment of Afro‐Malagasy skinks” (African Journal of Herpetology Vol 52:1, 2003 – my thanks to the Reptile Database for this information) pointed out that Euprepis species should actually be referred to Trachylepis.
I have not listed the so-called "Yellow-Lined Skink", Mabuya perspicua, as this species name was found on only one (non-academic) page (with no details) and repeated Net searches have found it nowhere else.
To go to the Bibliography from a given entry, click on B: to return to the Quick Index, click on I.
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M. bistriata, Two-Lined Skink |
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M. lineolata, Striped Skink |
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M. macleani, Carrot Rock Skink |
M. macrorhyncha, Hoge's Mabuya |
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M. nigropalmata, Black-Handed Skink |
M. nigropunctata, Black-Spotted Skink |
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M. unimarginata, Central American Mabuya |
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Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
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Mabuya |
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?? |
NE Brazil |
?" |
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Two-Lined Skink |
Lesser Antilles, Brazil, French Guyana, Bolivia, poss. Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago and Jamaica |
?" |
Terrestrial but also good climbers, in the Lesser Antilles also being found in trees and on roofs. They are active foragers during the middle of the day in sunny conditions, but dull or cool conditions reduce their activity considerably. Diet on Dominica consists largely of insects and woodlice. In the Lesser Antilles, the invasive mongoose has negatively impacted this species. For further taxonomic issues see Reptile Database entry . Coloration: bronze or copper overall, with broad lateral darker brown stripe which may be bordered by cream stripes. Reproduction: adult males develop rose-pink flush on throats. Females are ovoviparous. On Dominica 3-5 young are born within 36-48 hours of one another [SOURCE: Malhotra and Thorpe]. B I |
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?? |
Brazil (coast of the state of Sao Paulo N of Santos and island of Sao Sebastiao) |
?" |
The common name derives from the Brazilian word "caiçara", a reference to the native inhabitants of this species' range. Scalation: accessory frontonasals present: dorsal scales in 30-34 rows at midbody: ventral scales 34-40 (males), 35-41 (females): 10-12 femoral pores: 14-17 lamellae on fourth toe. B I |
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?? |
Brazil |
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See also note in Reptile Database entry. B I |
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Bolivia |
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Venezuela |
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Uruguay, Paraguay, N Argentina, S Brazil, Bolivia |
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NW Venezuela |
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Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina |
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Brazil, Bolivia |
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Brazil |
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Striped Skink |
Hispaniola (N Haiti, N Dominican Rep) |
?" |
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?? |
Caribbean, Mexico and C America |
?" |
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M. m. mabouya |
?? |
Lesser Antilles, Dominica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, other Caribbean islands, poss. N South America as far north as Panama |
?" |
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M. m. pergravis |
?? |
Isla de Providencia, Isla Santa Catalina |
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M. m. sloanei |
Antillean Skink, Virgin Islands Bronze Skink |
Lesser Antilles (Turks and Caicos Islands, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands) |
SVL 3½"/9cm |
Now considered a full species by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. Found both on the ground and sometimes on trees or elevated locations such as knots in fence posts. Also said to enter houses. Coloration: overall bronze brown; 2 broad dark brown stripes run along flanks from nostril to hind limbs; 2 dorsolateral bands above these but separated by cream stripes, extending posteriorly to short distance behind forelimbs, thereafter breaking up into spots; cream stripes start at nostril and diffuse and become bronze brown about halfway along the body; dorsolateral stripes may vary in coloration, supposedly iridiscent blue in Puerto Rican individuals but cream in those from the islands of Mona and Culebra. Reproduction: 2-4 live young. [SOURCE: Rivero] B I |
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Carrot Rock Skink |
British Virgin Islands |
?" |
Named after its habitat on the islands: closely related to M. sloanei (see Reptile Database entry). B I |
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Hoge's Mabuya |
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, coast of the state of S Paulo and islands of Vitoria, Buzios, Queimada Grande and Alcatrazes group) |
?" |
Viviparous species: see Reptile Database entry. B I |
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?? |
Brazil |
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Black-Handed Skink |
Brazil, Bolivia |
?" |
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Black-Spotted Skink |
Brazil, Bolivia, poss. N Peru |
?" |
See Reptile Database entry about the confusion with M. bistriata. B I |
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Central American Mabuya |
Mexico and C America |
5½-8cm SVL: tail 1-7-1.9x SVL |
Arboreal and terrestrial, occupying a variety of habitats within the Yucatán peninsula. May be found in both natural places (eg under loose bark) and those of human origin (eg ruins). Lee notes that it may sometimes bask with only the anterior portion of its body out of its shelter. Lee gives helpful tips on distinguishing this skink from other skinks in the Yucatán area. Coloration: dorsally overall brown; pair of light grey or white stripes from tip of snout along sides of head and body to groin; second less distinct pair of light stripes from above eye onto body until fading away on the posterior third of body. Sides of neck and body between stripes dark brown, middorsal area lighter. Ventrally grey, cream or tan. Older animals tend to be darker and have faded stripes. Reproduction: ovoviparous: in Yucatán, 4-9 young born June-July. [SOURCE: Lee] B I |
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Lists a few representative Mabuya species with useful details on husbandry of captives.
"Phylogenetic affinities of Mabuya atlantica, Schmidt 1945, endemic to the Atlantic Ocean archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (Brazil): Necessity of partitioning the genus Mabuya Fitzinger 1826 (Scincidae: Lygosominae)", Patrick Mausfeld, Andreas Schmitz, Wolfgang Böhme, Bernhard Mishof, David Vrcibradic and Carlos Frederico Duarte Rocha, Zoologischer Anzeiger 241 (2002), 281-293. Contains details of the DNA analysis which led to the conclusion that the genus Mabuya should be split, and of the new genera subsequently created. My thanks to Dr Schmitz for kindly sending me a copy of this paper.
"Distribution and differentiation of animals along the coast and in continental islands of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. 2. Lizards of the genus Mabuya (Sauria, Scincidae)", Regina Rebouças-Spieker, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, S Paulo, Vol.28 (12): 197-240, 7 plates, 11.XI.1974. Gives details of the species M. caissara and also some general characteristics of South American Mabuya.
Contains useful basic husbandry tips.
Also contains useful husbandry tips.
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