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 Sepilok on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 34 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.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Sabah Slender Skink in Sepilok on a given day, against under 5% in January, March and May, 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, Sepilok ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 20%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the Sabah Slender Skink that you can see in Sepilok (family Scincidae, Skinks) are Borneo Skink (about 50%), Rough Mabuya (about 40%) and Lewis's mabuya (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sabah Slender Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Sepilok (15 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.
