From BiodivBorneo09
Lizards of Borneo
by: Kristina Prus
Lizards are a widespread group of reptiles. While their diversity seems limited as compared to other places such as Costa Rica, they still have some amazing morphological variation among them. Included in lizards are Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Scincidae, and Varanidae. Agamids are lizards that typically have well developed limbs, geckos are usually smaller and most have detachable tails, skinks have a very snakelike appearance, and varanids are very large lizards (Das 2006). The majority of lizards feed on small critters such as insects or arthropods, with varanids even preying on crustaceans or small mammals (Das 2006).
Agamidae
| Aphaniotis sp.
| Matrix Name= AphanSp
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: Rough scales, knob sticking up at the end of the snout-brown with white tip, raised eyes surrounded by white/red bars, mouth bright blue with blue-black tongue, red line down back, long toes and long legs
Habitat: On small leaf in previously logged forest near path in the shade
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting, did not move, bit hard when caught and opened its mouth when bothered as a display
Additional Pictures (click):
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| ‘Black Striped’
| Matrix Name= BlaStr
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park
Description: Rough scales, eyes sticking up and surrounded by bars, black stripe from posterior eye to base of the shoulder, underside is white, black spots on back with mostly gray back, chaning to yellow on the sides, long striped limbs and a long tail
Habitat: On tree trunk medium height off the ground, near a river off the path
Time: Night
Behavior: Resting, did not immediately run away
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Bronchocela cristatella
| Matrix Name= BronCris
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park
Description: small pointed snout, large prominent tympanum, small yellow bumpy dewlap, very reduced nuchal crest, body all green, 5 broken white stripes down body, ventral surface white, limbs long and skinny, very long tail
Habitat: On broad leaf, 1m off the ground, near the edge of the forest by the creek
Time: Night
Behavior: Sitting, did not move immediately until leaf was moved
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Draco haematopogon
| Matrix Name= DraHae
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| Site: Maliau
Description: slender head with pointed snout, eyes circled with white, eyes raised, extended ribs for extra skin flaps for flying, thin toes and legs, very slender body
Habitat: Vines above the path near the water
Time: Night
Behavior: Sleeping on vine
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| Draco quinquefasciatus
| Matrix Name= DraQuin
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park
Description: slender body, narrow head with green and brown patches, very narrow neck having green and brown patches, prominent pointed yellow dewlap, slender limbs, elongated ribs with a black and yellow to orange red to red striped pattern
Habitat: Hanging on hanging vine near the river
Time: Night
Behavior: Sleeping until disturbed, but did not try to move
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Gonocephalus bornensis
| Matrix Name= GonoBorn
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park
Description: large pointed head and snout, prominent tympanum, no dewlap, prominent nuchal and dorsal crest colored yellow-orange, thin and long limbs, long tail, large body
Habitat: On tree at about 2m, in primary forest
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting on tree, did not run
Additional Picture (click):
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| Gonocephalus grandis
| Matrix Name= GonoGran
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: very large, rounded snout, cream underside, prominent tympanum, dorsal and nuchal crest present, yellow in color, minor spotting on sides, red and black striped tail, highly developed limbs and toes
Habitat: high (~3m) up in tree on path in primary forest
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting, did not move until tree was shaken then moved farther up and gripped on during violent shaking
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Gonocephalus liogaster
| Matrix Name= GonoLio
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: moderately pointed snout, robust body and limbs, head with small black wavy stripes, stripes around eye, yellow stripe directly around eye, dewlap cream with small black striping, nuchal crest, reduced dorsal crest, body green with marbled black lining, ventor cream, long tail
Habitat: primary forest on nature trail, on tree branch
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting high in tree (~3m), ran up when approached
Additional Picture (click):
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| Gonocephalus mjobergi
| Matrix Name= GonoMjo
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| Site: Gaya Island
Description: moderately pointed snout, large body, very promiment tympanum, various dark markings around head, very reduced nuchal crest, no dorsal crest, body green with black spots on sides between limbs, long and thin limbs, ventral side creamy white, tail long and black striped
Habitat: forest near the beach, in short trees
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting high in tree (~2m), ran up when approached
Additional Picture (click):
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| Gonocephalus red
| Matrix Name= GonoRed
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park, Gaya Island
Description: pointed slightly upturned snout, large eyes surrounded on top half by red bars, upper mouth lined by red bars, tympanum visible, very reduced nuchal crest, no dorsal crest ventral surface cream, body red with green spots, limbs green with black striping, long tail
Habitat: forest near river in trees and in trees in forest near the beach
Time: Day, night
Behavior: Sitting in tree, did not move much when disturbed
Additional Pictures (click):
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Gekkonidae
| Cosymbotus platyurus
| Matrix Name= CosyPla
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: long pointed snout, mottled gray eye, ventor cream, body speckled gray, robust body, squat limbs, tail with spikes on both sides
Habitat: in unlit washroom
Time: Night
Behavior: Resting, ran immediately in random directions
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Cyrtodactylus cavernicolus
| Matrix Name= CyrtCave
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| Site: Niah Cave
Description: narrow body, brown-gray body, black stripes down body and tail, tail long and very pointed, slender and long limbs
Habitat: under wooden planks used in cave walkway
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting, hid immediately when approached
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| Cyrtodactylus consobrinus
| Matrix Name= CyrtCons
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park
Description: egg shaped head, large orange-yellow eyes surrounded by yellow outline, green near head, head has black patches outlined in yellow, body black with white-yellow thin stripes, changing to broader white on tail, legs same as head, legs thin and long, tail long and thin
Habitat: On tree around 2m up, near the river
Time: Night
Behavior: Ran quickly under cover of plants on tree after seeing me
Additional Picture (click):
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| Cyrtodactylus ingeri
| Matrix Name= CyrtIng
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: Very small, flattened head, golden mottled eyes, broken black stripes all down body turning into stripes on tail, rest of body is gray, underside is gray/white, long limbs, toes with extensive toepads
Habitat: In various human dwellings, this individual found in lit bathroom
Time: Evening
Behavior: Resting, ran when approached but ran less when pursued
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Cyrtodactylus pubisulcus
| Matrix Name= CyrtPub
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park, Maliau Basin
Description: small, pointed snout, brown-grey body with dark brown patches turning into stripes on the tail, stripe from tip of snout to just behind eyes, small limbs, ventral side creamy white
Habitat: secondary forest near the river and human dwellings
Time: Evening
Behavior: Resting, ran when approached
Additional Picture (click):
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| Hemidactylus frenatus
| Matrix Name= HemiFren
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: pointed snout, robust body, uniform brown-gray color, intermittent spots in lines along back, squat limbs with wide fingers, wide tail
Habitat: human dwellings, such as lit ceilings
Time: Night
Behavior: Sitting on roof, ran when approached
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Scincidae
| Apterygodon vittatus
| Matrix Name= AptVit
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park
Description: pointed snout, head in line with body, black with white long stripes going towards tail, stripes turn into red-orange dots after front limbs, turning into solid red-orange for rest of body, squat limbs, short pointed tail
Habitat: tree near human dwellings in direct sunlight
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting in sun, ran up tree when approached from a distance
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Mabuya indeprensa
| Matrix Name= MabInd
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| Site: Gaya Island, Maliau Basin
Description: Shiny and smooth scales, deep tympanum, slightly pointed snout, head flat and in line with body, body bronze, limbs short and squat, underside light blue changing to orange near the rear legs
Habitat: forest near beach and outside of human dwellings in direct sunlight
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting in sun near vegetation, ran when approached
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| Mabuya multifasciata
| Matrix Name= MabMult
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| Site: Gaya Island
Description: smooth scales, pointed snout, underside of snout white with black speckle, red stripe above continuing to back of body, top of head brown-gray, black speckles near underside until front limbs, body becoming more robust as it approaches tail
Habitat: in leaf litter on ground
Time: Day
Behavior: Resting, hid under leaf litter immediately
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| Mabuya rudis
| Matrix Name= MabRud
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| Site: Lambir Hills National Park, Deramakot
Description: slightly pointed and rounded snout, medium sized, very robust body with a long black stripe to the tail boarded by yellow on either side, rest of body brown, squat legs, short tail, underside whiteish
Habitat: brightly lit parking lot
Time: Day
Behavior: Sitting in sun, ran for cover under car as soon as approached
Additional Pictures (click):
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| Canopy Skink
| Matrix Name= CanoSki
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: striped mouth, rounded snout, small head, light brown body, small and slender, slender limbs, light spotting on body, horizontal black line across eye, eye surrounded by yellow scales, very long tail
Habitat: canopy
Time: Day
Behavior: holding onto walkway, ran down tree when approached
Additional Picture (click):
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| Stump Skink
| Matrix Name= StumSki
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| Site: Maliau Basin
Description: short snout, slightly pointed, bottom has black spots with cream color around, body dark gray-black with brown spots all over, more spots on sides of body near limbs, short limbs, long tail ending in reddish color
Habitat: In decaying tree stump in primary forest gap
Time: Day
Behavior: Hunting, ran as soon as it saw movement for additional cover in stump
Additional Pictures (click):
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Varanidae
| Varanus rudicollis
| Matrix Name= VaraRud
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| Site: Gaya Island, Pandang Point
Description: robust body, large (about 2m long), line down sides of body, visible tympanum, very long tail compared to body
Habitat: On ground, near the bathrooms in open forest, also seen on path in forest
Time: Day
Behavior: Walking in sand, ran immediately into forest when approached
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Character Matrix
File:Kristinalizard.nex
Phylogeny
Synapomorphies
There appeared to be three clear synapomorphies in the tree. The first, elongated ribs, corresponds with the genus Draco, suggesting that the elongated ribs and therefore ability to glide evolved only once. Having a nuchal and dorsal crest also seems to be a synapomorphy, evolving only once late in the tree. Dorsal crests seem even more recent than nuchal crests, and seem to be limited to agamid lizards.
References
Das, Indraneil. Lizards of Borneo. Natural History Publications (Borneo): 2004.
Das, Indraneil. Snakes and Other Reptiles of Borneo. New Holland Publishers (UK): 2006.
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