‘Large’ golden creature — carrying eggs — seen basking in sun. It’s a new species
A “large” pregnant creature perched atop a tree stump, basking in the sun in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. Maybe it was her “gold-striped” skin or her “glossy” black scales glinting in the sunlight that revealed her — because that’s when researchers spotted her.
Scientists were exploring the isolated Mount Menawa, the tallest peak in the Bewani Mountains, in search of skinks, according to a Jan. 23 study published in the journal Vertebrate Zoology.
When they found the sunbathing creature, the researchers were unable to identify her as any existing species of skink, they said. She actually belonged to a new species: Papuascincus borealis, or the Northern Ranges gold-striped skink.
Experts examined four specimens of the new species, one pregnant female and three males. The female lizard was carrying two eggs in her abdomen.
The new species was distinguished by its size and unusual color pattern, scientists said.
The “large” skinks measure about 2 inches long, not including their tails, according to researchers. The female specimen measured more than 3 inches in total length with her tail included.
Papuascincus borealis has a distinct color pattern, including “three yellow-gold” stripes on their back, a gold tail with “black speckling” and black limbs with “gold flecking,” the study said. Beneath their stripes, they have “glossy” and “smooth” black scales.
Photos show the scaly creatures in their natural habitat.
Researchers said they’ve only found the skinks living on Mount Menawa, which was once covered in “cloud forest” before it was cleared to create a helicopter landing. The reptiles were seen “basking” on “above the ground” “raised perches,” indicating that they might be “partially arboreal.”
Compared to other creatures found near the new species, experts said the Northern Ridges gold-striped skink appeared to be “uncommon.”
The new species is the only type of Papuascincus — a genus including several species of skinks — known to live in the North Coastal Ranges of the Bewani Mountains.
Scientists said they named the new species after the Latin adjective meaning “northern,” referring to their northern habitat.
The Bewani Mountains are in northwestern Papua New Guinea.
This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 2:43 PM with the headline "‘Large’ golden creature — carrying eggs — seen basking in sun. It’s a new species."
