Distribution: New Guinea and neighbouring islands.
Habitat: Coconut plantations and lowland rainforests.
Diet: Small arthropods.
Max. length: 43-61 mm SVL.
Reproductive strategy: Oviparous with clutches of two eggs.
Emoia obscura is a super-species containing several similar species that may be found in rainforests, grasslands or swamp areas. It may be terrestrial or arboreal in habit. The Karkar Island population is unique is possessing lower scale counts than specimens from other populations and may ultimately represent an endemic island species.
Sources for more information:
Brown, W.C. 1991. “Lizards of the genus Emoia (Scincidae) with observations on their evolution and biogeography.” Mem. Calif. Acad. Sci. 15 vi+94.
McCoy, M. 1980. Reptiles of the Solomon Islands. Wau Ecology Handbook No.7. vi+80.
Mys, B. 1988. “The zoogeography of the scincid lizards from North Papua New Guinea (Reptilia: Scincidae). I. The distribution of the species.” Bulletin de L'Institute Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. 58;127-183.