There is only a single species in the genus Lygosoma recognized to occur in the Philippines. Lygosoma quadrupes, sometimes referred to as the Short-limbed Supple Skink or Linneaus' Writhing Skink, is recognized to occur on the Palawan and Calamian islands in the western Philippines. The widespread species is also recognized to occur throuhgout much of Southeast Asia, and may represent multiple, unique evolutionary lineages in need of recognition.
Much like species in the genus Brachymeles, L. quadrupes is found within and beneath rotting logs in the forest as well as in the loose soil and leaf litter surrounding the root networks of large trees. Interestingly, Lygosoma appears to occupy the same microhabitat as species in the genus Brachymeles, a genus that occurs throughout the Philippines except for the island of Palawan. Similarly, the genus Lygosoma is known only from Palawan, and apparently did not radiate throughout the rest of the Philippines.
There is only a single species of the genus Lygosoma that is recongized to occur in the Philippines. Lygosoma quadrupes can be distinguished from other species of skinks in the Philippines by the following combination of characters: (1) snout-vent length moderate (SVL 65.5-78.2 mm); (2) slender, elongate body; (3) limbs short; (4) rostral in broad contact with frontonasals; (5) prefrontals small, widely separated; (6) frontal in contact with first two supraocluars; (7) supraoculars large, 4 (rarely 5); (8) frontoparietals fused; parietals in contact posterior to interparietal; (9) enlarged, differentiated nuchals usually absent (rarely 1 pair present); (10) supralabials 6-7; (11) midbody scale rows 26 (rarely 24); (12) paravertebral scale rows 104-113; and (13) 4th toe lamellae 5-7 (Brown and Alcala, 1980).
This species is recognized to occur in Vietname, Thailand, Camboida, Laos, South China, Hong Kong, West Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Salayar), and the Philippines. In the Philippines, this species has been documented only on Palawan, Busuanga, and Cuyo islands.
In the Philippines, this species is assocaited with the Palawan Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complex (PAIC; Brown and Diesmos, 2002).
Similar to species in the genus Brachymeles, Lygosoma quadrupes is commonly observed within or beneath rotting logs, as well as in loose soil surrounding the root networks of large trees.
Gravid females have been observed to carry two or three eggs, with hathlings measuring 26 mm snout-vent length (Smith, 1935; Brown and Alcala, 1980).
SVL 65.5-78.2 mm (Brown and Alcala, 1980)
Java, Indonesia; repository of type unkown
The short-limbed supple skink or Linnaeus's writhing skink (Lygosoma quadrupes) is a species of skink which is found widely in southern China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, West Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Salayar), and the Philippines (Palawan, Calamian Islands)).[1]
The short-limbed supple skink or Linnaeus's writhing skink (Lygosoma quadrupes) is a species of skink which is found widely in southern China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, West Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Salayar), and the Philippines (Palawan, Calamian Islands)).
