Rediscovery of the skink Sphenomorphus anomalopus (Boulenger, 1890) (Squamata: Scincidae): first documentation of its natural history and live coloration

The rediscovery and photographic documentation of Sphenomorphus anomalopus from Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra, Indonesia, after a 109-year hiatus allowed us, for the first time, to observe its behavior and assess its microhabitat. Historical descriptions of this species’ coloration were never based on live material and, as such, did not convey the vibrant and contrasting nature of its lemon-yellow, orange, reddish, and greyish pattern configuration.

Its color pattern and possible sexual dichromatism are described based on seven males and one presumed female photographed in situ. A short observation period clearly indicated that S. anomalopus is not an arboreal species, as had been previously hypothesized, but a terrestrial species that forages in rock-strewn leaf litter in sun-exposed localities, such as beneath canopy gaps and other open areas like many other terrestrial skinks.