Pacific Bluetail Skink
Emoia caeruleocauda
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyScincidae (Skinks)
- GenusEmoia (Emo Skinks)
- SpeciesEmoia caeruleocauda (Pacific Bluetail Skink)
About the Pacific Bluetail Skink
Emoia caeruleocauda, commonly known as the Pacific bluetail skink or Pacific blue-tail skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific. E. caeruleocauda is found widespread from eastern Indonesia (from Sulawesi to east and south) through southern Philippines and New Guinea (Western New Guinea and Papua New Guinea) and the Solomon Islands northward into the Marianas, Carolines, and Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Fiji Islands, Vanuatu, and Guam. It has been reported from Borneo but the IUCN considers this doubtful.
Emoia caeruleocauda is essentially terrestrial but it can ascend to forage in low scrub and climb a little distance up tree trunks. It is a lowland species that still can be found as high as 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.
Das I. 2006. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Borneo. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. ISBN 0-88359-061-1. (Emoia caeruleocauda, p. 110). De Vis CW. 1892. Zoology of British New Guinea. Part 1. Vertebrata. Annals of the Queensland Museum 2: 1–24. (Mocoa caeruleocauda, new species). Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Littoral Whiptail-skink
Emoia atrocostata
Kopstein's Emo Skink
Emoia jakati
Shrub Whiptail-skink
Emoia longicauda
Meyer's Emo Skink
Emoia kordoana
Slender Emo Skink
Emoia physicae
Indonesian Brown Skink Carlia
Carlia fusca
Emerald Tree Skink
Lamprolepis smaragdina
Common Forest Skink
Sphenomorphus simus
Many-lined Sun-skink
Eutropis multifasciata
New Guinea Snake-eyed Skink
Cryptoblepharus novaeguineae
Müller's Forest Skink
Sphenomorphus muelleri
Yapen Forest Skink
Sphenomorphus jobiensis
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Pacific Bluetail Skink in Raja Ampat?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Pacific Bluetail Skink sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 123 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Pacific Bluetail Skink in Raja Ampat?
April has the highest sighting rate for Pacific Bluetail Skink in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.