Lankascincus fallax
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
Lankascincus fallax, also known commonly as the common supple skink and Peters's tree skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is found in Sri Lanka and Western Ghats (India). Fronto-parietal is fused, unlike in all other Lanka skinks (where it is divided on others). Midbody scales rows 24–28. Lamellae under fourth toe are 13–18.
Males are distinguish with red-throat. Dorsum pale to dark brown each dorsal scale with a pale stripe joining to form longitudinal line on dorsum. A yellowish brown stripe running from posterior edge of the eye to beyond middle of the tail. Throat color varies from red, blue or cream, with white spots, presumably depending on the reproductive status. Venter unpatterned creamy. Ventral scales with a frosted pattern, forming longitudinal lines.
Iris yellow in female and bright red in males. Lay 1 egg laid per clutch in loose soil. Peters W (1860). "Mittheilung über einige interessante Amphibien, welche von dem durch seine zoologischen Schriften rühmlichst bekannten österreichischen Naturforscher Professor Schmarda während seiner auf mehrere Weltheile ausgedehnten... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Kochi | 🇮🇳 India |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Peters' Tree Skink sighting in Kochi on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 12th most-seen of the 23 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, August, October and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Peters' Tree Skink in Kochi on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month. Those are among Kochi's wettest months, with about 310 mm of rain a month against 15 mm in January.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Peters' Tree Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Peters' Tree Skink sightings, Kochi ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] (Sri Lanka, about 20%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the Peters' Tree Skink that you can see in Kochi (family Scincidae, Skinks) are Dussumier's Litter Skink (about 30%), Keeled Indian Mabuya (about 20%) and Common Dotted Garden Skink (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Peters' Tree Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kochi (32 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
