Sphenomorphus sabanus
Silhouette: Gopal Murali · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Sphenomorphus sabanus is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. It is known commonly as the Sabah slender skink. The holotype of this species was deposited at the Field Museum (Specimen No. 63671). It is an adult male collected in Sapagaya Forest Reserve in North Borneo on July 18, 1950 by Robert F. Inger. Paratypes were also deposited at the Field Museum. They include 32 specimens all collected from scattered localities in eastern North Borneo.
The Sabah slender skink is a slender, smooth-scaled, dark grey skink that lacks a black spot on the neck and a black lateral stripe. The ventral surface of these lizards is cream-colored. Males of the species have an orange flush on the flanks. Once preserved in alcohol, the color will range from brown to greyish brown.
The Sabah slender skink is a terrestrial lizard. The Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sabah Slender Skink sighting in Kinabalu Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 43rd most-seen of the 69 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Sabah Slender Skink in Kinabalu Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–July, September and November, the lowest months.
Between midnight and 3 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sabah Slender Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Sabah Slender Skink sightings, Kinabalu Park ranks 3rd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 20%) and Sepilok (Malaysia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sabah Slender Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kinabalu Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
