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The Spotted Litter Skink, Sphenomorphus maculatus
(Blyth, 1853) has a distribution that includes much of
South and mainland Southeast Asia as well as China
and is thought to extend even into the Sunda Region
and New Guinea (Uetz et al., 2018). In Bangladesh it
is common in mixed evergreen forests in the northeast,
southeast, and east of the country, as well as in some
deciduous forests of the central part (Hasan et al., 2014;
Khan, 2015a), but in some of these regions confirmed
scientific reports are still missing. Until now, this species
has not been reported from northwestern Bangladesh.
Sphenomorphus maculatus inhabits moist forested
areas rich in moist leaf litter (IUCN Bangladesh, 2015)
and is also found near swamps and on hills in Bangladesh
(Hasan et al., 2014). As a diurnal terrestrial predator,
it primarily feeds on ground insects, particularly
grasshoppers, spiders, and crickets (Chakma, 2009;
Hasan et al., 2014; Khan, 2015b). IUCN Bangladesh
(2015) considered this species as of Least Concern
(LC).
During a survey on the campus of Rajshahi
University, Rajshahi Division, northwestern
Bangladesh (24.3704°N, 88.6311°E; Datum WGS84)
on 2 December 2017, we discovered an individual of
Sphenomorphus maculatus. We observed the skink in
an abandoned area surrounded by residential buildings
after dark, at 2030 h, in the short grass. Upon spotting
the animal, we photographed it with a Canon EOS 760D
camera for identification. We followed Hasan et al.
(2014) to make a positive identification in the field and
deposited photographs in the Professor Md. Kazi Zaker
Husain Museum, Department of Zoology, University
of Dhaka, Bangladesh (photographic voucher numbers
W23001a). The individual was not collected because of
the protected status conferred on the species under the
Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act,
2012.
The individual matched the characteristics listed by
Chakma (2009) and Hasan et al. (2014) well, including
bronze brown to dark brown dorsal colour, two median
series of small black spots, a dark lateral band with
small white spots, tail length about double that of snout–
vent length, and with comparatively large and smooth
dorsal scales (Fig. 1). The first report of S. maculatus
in Bangladesh was from 1994 in Whykoeng Teknaf,
Cox’s Bazar District (Khan, 2015a). Since then, reports
have indicated the species’ presence in seven localities
Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 915-917 (2019) (published online on 05 September 2019)
New record of Sphenomorphus maculatus (Blyth, 1853) in
northwestern Bangladesh
Md. Mahabub Alam1,*, Md. Fazle Rabbe1, and Md. Mokhlesur Rahman1
1 Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000,
Bangladesh.
* Corresponding author. E-mail: mahabub.zoo@du.ac.bd
Figure 1. Sphenomorphus maculatus from Rajshahi University
campus, Rajshahi Division, northwestern Bangladesh
(photographic voucher number W23001a). Photo by Md.
Fazle Rabbe.
Md. Mahabub Alam et al.
916
within Bangladesh, including our new record. Mahony
et al. (2009) and Reza and Perry (2015) recorded S.
maculatus from the Kaptai of Rangamati District.
Reza and Perry (2015) also recorded the species from
Lawachara National Park and Modhupur National Park.
Another locality, the Milonchari Resort in Bandarban
District (Mahony and Reza, 2008; Mahony et al., 2009)
houses both juvenile and adult S. maculatus. We provide
an up-to-date list for localities with S. maculatus in
Bangladesh in Table 1.
Our new record extends the distribution of the species
approximately 200 km northwest of the closest record at
Tangail (Fig. 2). As the new record is geographically far
from previous records, there appears to be a significant
Wallacean shortfall (lack of geographic distribution
information) in Bangladesh for S. maculatus. Our new
record fills some of this shortfall for this species in
Bangladesh.
Acknowledgements. The authors thank Professor Mohammad
Firoj Jaman for confirming the species’ identity. We also thank
Md. Salauddin for helping prepare the distribution map.
References
Chakma, S. (2009): Sphenomorphus maculatus. In: Encyclopedia
of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh. Volume 25. Amphibians and
Reptiles, p. 99–100. Kabir, S.M.H., Ahmad, M., Ahmed, A.T.A.,
Rahman, A.K.A., Ahmed, Z.U., Begum, Z.N.T., Hassan, M.A.,
Khondker, M., Eds., Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of
Bangladesh.
Hasan, M.K., Khan, M.M.H., Feeroz, M.M. (2014): Amphibians
and Reptiles of Bangladesh: a Field Guide. Dhaka, Bangladesh,
Arannayk Foundation. 191 pp.
IUCN Bangladesh (2015): Red List of Bangladesh. Volume
4. Reptiles and Amphibians. Dhaka, Bangladesh, IUCN
Bangladesh Country Office. 337 pp.
Khan, M.A.R. (2015a): Wildlife of Bangladesh: Checklist and
Guide. Dhaka, Chayabithi Publications. 567 pp.
Khan, M.M.H. (2015b): Sphenomorphus maculatus. In: IUCN
Bangladesh. Red List of Bangladesh. Volume 4. Reptiles and
Amphibians, p. 126. Dhaka, Bangladesh, IUCN Bangladesh
Country Office.
Table 1. Known locality records for S. maculatus in Bangladesh. Approximate coordinates are indicated by asterisks (*).
Table 1. Known locality records for S. maculatus in Bangladesh. Approximate coordinates are indicated by asterisks
(
*
).
Place Latitude Longitude References
Whykoeng, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar 20.8846°N
*
92.2981°E
*
Khan (2015a)
Teknaf Game Reserve, Cox's Bazar 20.9339°N 92.2603°E Reza and Perry (2015)
Milonchari Hillside Resort, Bandarban 22.1678°N 92.2233°E Mahony and Reza (2008); Mahony et al. (2009)
Kaptai National Park, Rangamati 22.5000°N 92.2000°E Mahony et al. (2009); Reza and Perry (2015)
Lawachara National Park, Moulovibazar 24.3283°N 91.7778°E Reza and Perry (2015)
Madhupur National Park, Tangail 24.6903°N 90.1347°E Reza and Perry (2015)
Rajshahi University campus, Rajshahi 24.3704°N 88.6311°E present study
Figure. 2. Map of Bangladesh (pink colour) indicating known
localities for Sphenomorphus maculatus. (1) Whykoeng,
Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar; (2) Teknaf Game Reserve, Cox’s
Bazar; (3) Milonchari Hillside Resort, Bandarban; (4) Kaptai
National Park, Rangamati; (5) Lawachara National Park,
Moulovibazar; (6) Madhupur National Park, Tangail; and (7)
Rajshahi University campus, Rajshahi.
Mahony, S., Reza, A.H.M.A. (2008): A herpetofaunal collection
from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, with two new
species records for the country. Hamadryad 32: 45–56.
Mahony, S., Hasan, M.K., Kabir, M.M., Ahmed, M., Hossain, M.K.
(2009): A catalogue of amphibians and reptiles in the collection
of Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Hamadryad
34: 80–94.
Uetz, P., Freed, P., Hošek, J., Eds. (2018): Sphenomorphus
maculatus. The Reptile Database. Available at: http://www.
reptile-database.org. Accessed on 6 February 2018.
New record of Sphenomorphus maculatus in northwestern Bangladesh 917
Accepted by Hinrich Kaiser
Article
Full-text available
Species diversity is an important parameter for monitoring ecology that can accelerate conservation planning. A study on the diversity, composition, and distribution of the herpetofauna in four districts of northwestern Bangladesh was conducted through direct field observations and plot counting during day and night from April 2017 to March 2018. A total of 33 species of herpetofauna were recorded, representing 20 reptiles and 13 amphibians, and the estimated species richness was 37. The highest number of species (22) was found in both Kornai (Thakurgaon) and Mollapara (Nilphamari), while the lowest (10) was in Nolabari (Nilphamari) and Koyagolahat (Nilphamari). The highest number of amphibian species (11) was recorded in Singra forest and Kornai, while Mollapara harbored the most reptilian species (12). Based on the Shannon-Wiener index of diversity, the highest diversity was in Kornai (H' = 2.562) while the lowest was in Singra forest (H' = 1.304). The Jaccard similarity index varied from 0.33 to 0.71, indicating the variations of species compositions among different sites. Among the 2,421 herpetofauanal individuals recorded, Common Toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus (n = 639) represented the highest number among the amphibians and Yellow-green House Gecko, Hemidactylus flaviviridis (n = 130) represented the highest number among reptiles. The baseline data on herpetofaunal diversity reported here will help the scientific community and policymakers to effectively accelerate the conservation plans for this region.
Article
Full-text available
A herpetofaunal survey was conducted at a relatively disturbed area in Milonchari, central Chittagong Hill Tracts. A total of 24 species (11 frog, nine lizard and four snake species) from 21 different genera, were documented. Of these, at least two lizard species are new records for Bangladesh. One of these, Lygosoma lineolatum, was previously considered a Myanmar endemic. The second species, Hemidactylus garnotii, is widely distributed in south-east Asia and north-east India. Of the remaining species, three (Calotes cf. versicolor, Microhyla cf. berdmorei and Xenophrys cf. parva) have been tentatively assigned to their closest described relatives which themselves are species complexes. Most species found during this study are of south-east Asian affinities, and all but two- Microhyla cf. berdmorei and Cyrtodactylus sp.- are considered primarily associated with anthropogenically modified habitats.
Amphibians and Reptiles
  • S Chakma
Chakma, S. (2009): Sphenomorphus maculatus. In: Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh. Volume 25. Amphibians and Reptiles, p. 99-100. Kabir, S.M.H., Ahmad, M., Ahmed, A.T.A., Rahman, A.K.A., Ahmed, Z.U., Begum, Z.N.T., Hassan, M.A., Khondker, M., Eds., Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
Reptiles and Amphibians
  • Iucn Bangladesh
IUCN Bangladesh (2015): Red List of Bangladesh. Volume 4. Reptiles and Amphibians. Dhaka, Bangladesh, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office. 337 pp.
Wildlife of Bangladesh: Checklist and Guide. Dhaka
  • M A R Khan
Khan, M.A.R. (2015a): Wildlife of Bangladesh: Checklist and Guide. Dhaka, Chayabithi Publications. 567 pp.
Reptiles and Amphibians
  • M M H Khan
Khan, M.M.H. (2015b): Sphenomorphus maculatus. In: IUCN Bangladesh. Red List of Bangladesh. Volume 4. Reptiles and Amphibians, p. 126. Dhaka, Bangladesh, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office.
  • S Mahony
  • M K Hasan
  • M M Kabir
  • M Ahmed
  • M K Hossain
Mahony, S., Hasan, M.K., Kabir, M.M., Ahmed, M., Hossain, M.K. (2009): A catalogue of amphibians and reptiles in the collection of Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Hamadryad 34: 80-94.
Sphenomorphus maculatus. The Reptile Database
  • P Uetz
  • P Freed
  • J Hošek
  • Eds
Uetz, P., Freed, P., Hošek, J., Eds. (2018): Sphenomorphus maculatus. The Reptile Database. Available at: http://www. reptile-database.org. Accessed on 6 February 2018.