18 May New Lizard Species Discovered In Mindanao Named After PH Scientist
Mga higala! A new species of lizard that was recently discovered in Mindanao’s Zamboanga Peninsula has been named after Filipino Scientist Angel C. Alcala!
The said lizard is Eutropis alcalai, a species of sun skink related to Eutropis rugifera (Nicobar Island skink or rough-scaled sun skink). It is a “secretive, forest-adapted skink that ranges widely outside the Philippines.”
It has also been dubbed as “Alcala’s Quinque-carinate (five-keeled) Sun Skink” or “Alcala’s Rough-scaled Sun Skink.”
According to scientists Anthony J. Barley, Marites B. Sanguila, and Rafe M. Brown (Page 11):
“We take great pleasure in naming this distinctive new species for our colleague Angel C. Alcala, in recognition of his numerous foundational contributions to the natural history, systematics, ecology, and conservation of Philippine lizards of the family Scincidae.”
ICYDK, Alcala was named as a National Scientist of the Philippines in 2014 due to his seminal and original research on the systematic, ecology, and diversity of Philippine amphibians and reptiles, and, marine biodiversity, reef fishes, and conservation.
For more details, read:
http://asbp.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PJSB-ACA-2020-012.pdf
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