Ateuchosaurus chinensis (Gray, 1845)
Chinese Forest Skink 光蜥
Suborder
Lacertilia 蜥蜴亞目
Sides heavily speckled with black and white spots that extend onto anterior two thirds of tail.
Underside of trunk pearly white. Head rounded, with a blunt-tipped snout.
Throat and underside between forelegs bright pink in adult males. Legs very short. Tail about same length as body or a little longer.
Mid-dorsal row of scales as well as those on upper side of tail slightly keeled.
Secondary forest and "fung shui" woods from where it appears to disperse to lowland cultivated fields.
In this alternative habitat is found hiding under cover in brushy areas by day.
One tiny specimen, probably a hatchling, was about 3 cm in total length and very dark in colour.
Only known from a few areas (Tai Po Kau, Wu Kau Tang, Cheung Sheung and The peak).
Considerably more common in parts of Lantau and a few other small islands such as Peng Chau (坪洲) and Tung Ping Chau (東平洲).
Is found in central and southern China, and northern Vietnam.
