Eutropis macularia (Blyth, 1853)

Common Name & Body Shape

Eutropis macularia, commonly called the bronze grass skink, has a cylindrical body.

Scale Keel Characteristics

Its dorsal scales have 5–8 keels, while ventral scales are smooth. Like other species in the Eutropis genus, its scales are keeled overall.

Dorsolateral Band Pattern

A pair of dorsolateral bands run from above the eye to the base of the tail.

Snout & Eyelid Features

The snout is short, acuminate, and bears an obtuse keel; the lower eyelid is covered in scales.

Nostril Position

The nostril sits behind the vertical suture between the rostral scale and the first labial scale.

Ear Opening Traits

The ear opening is oval, and is roughly the same size as a lateral scale, or slightly smaller.

Midbody Scale Count

Dorsal, nuchal, and lateral scales have five to seven sharp keels, and 26 to 30 approximately equally sized scales encircle the middle of the body.

Limb Overlap

When pressed against the body, the limbs meet or overlap.

Digit & Lamellae Features

Digits are short, and the lamellae between digits are smooth.

Tail Length Ratio

The tail is 1.25 to 1.75 times the length of the head and body combined.

Upper Body & Side Coloration

This species is brown or olive-brown on the upper body; its sides are darker and usually marked with white spots that have black edges.

Back Markings

The back may be uniform in color, marked with black spots, or marked with one or two black longitudinal lines.

Lateral Line Markings

Sometimes, two light lateral lines are present on each side, and are only clearly defined in the neck region.

Preserved Specimen Underparts

Underparts are yellowish in preserved specimens.

Overall Color Variation

Overall body color can be deep brown, olive, or bronze-brown, and the dorsolateral bands may be light or yellow.

Tail Base Markings

Black spots sometimes appear on the base of the tail.

Breeding Male Coloration

Breeding males have orange coloration on the lateral sides of their body.

Juvenile Coloration

Juveniles are grey with a bronze-colored head.

Species Size Measurements

The species reaches a maximum total length of 23 cm (9 in); a more common total length is 16 cm (6 in), with a snout-to-vent length of 7 cm (2.8 in).

Chigger Mite Refuge Scales

Just above the ankle on the leg, there is a specialized group of scales that forms a refuge for chigger mites.

Geographic Distribution

This skink is distributed across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, northwestern Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Type Locality

Its type locality is Rangpur, Bengal, which is in present-day Bangladesh.

Habitat & Altitude Range

It occupies deciduous forests, evergreen forests, plantations, areas of leaf litter, grasslands, and rocky areas with scattered trees, occurring at altitudes up to approximately 1,500 m (5,000 ft).

Diet

Like other skinks, the bronze grass skink feeds on insects and other invertebrates.

Shelter Sites

It hides in ground holes, rock crevices, and under rocks.

Reproductive Traits

Females lay several small clutches of eggs each year, with each clutch holding three to six eggs.

Western Ghats Abundance & Activity Period

A study conducted in the southern Western Ghats found Eutropis macularia to be the most frequently encountered reptile in the study area's plantations, orchards, and gardens, and the species is active both during the day and at night.

Preferred Habitat Features

This skink prefers areas with a high canopy, deep leaf litter, and dense cover of shrubs and herbs.

Behavior Traits

It is strictly terrestrial and rather shy.