About Sphenomorphus maculatus (Blyth, 1853)
This species has a tapered, flat head, and a tapered tail that is twice as long as its snout–vent length. Scales cover the trunk and eyelid, and scales on the back toward the tail are larger. The upper sides of the head, body, and tail are brown, with smooth scales and faint darker markings. The throat and belly are pale and have no markings. Below a dark stripe on the flanks lies a mottled zone made up of yellowish and brown spots. This species reaches a maximum total length of 19 cm, with a common total length of 17 cm and a common snout–vent length of 6 cm. It is non-venomous and harmless to humans. It is distributed across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (southern Yunnan, southeastern Xizang, also called Tibet), India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Darjeeling), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, the Sunda region (Brunei, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste), northern Thailand, and Vietnam. It is a terrestrial, nocturnal species that lives near streams and small rivers in lowland and hilly areas. It forages among rocks and vegetation directly at the water’s edge. It is oviparous. Its courtship and mating follow strictly ritualized behavior, beginning between April and June. Hatchlings emerge between late August and September.
