Distribution: Papua New Guinea endemic.
Habitat: Coconut plantations and both lowland and montane rainforests.
Diet: Small arthropods.
Max. length: 36-40 mm SVL.
Reproductive strategy: Oviparous with clutches of two eggs.
The pale-headed skink is a terrestrial skink that likes to bask. The flanks are dark brown to black, separated from the pale back by a well-defined whitish stripe.
Two subspecies are recognized:
E. p. pallidiceps: Madang Province to southeastern Papua New Guinea
E. p. mehelyi: Madang and East Sepik Provinces
The subspecies of Karkar Island is the northern pale-headed skink (E. p. mehelyi).
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.