Emoia atrocostata (Lesson, 1830)

Emoia atrocostata View in CoL .

– Emoia atrocostata is a specialized species found in intertidal areas, usually in the vicinity of mangroves. It occurs on at least nine islands in the Seribuat Archipelago and although its distribution appears random, it is predictable. For this species to be present, a rocky shore backed by vegetation is required. The rocks must be of moderate size (~ 1 m diamater) usually not giant boulders (with the exception of P. Tulai) and the vegetation does not necessarily have to be mangrove. Therefore, this species’ absence from the large island of Tioman and others, which at first seems perplexing, is explainable because these islands lack the two fundamental characteristics (with the exception of a few small isolated places on the east coast at Tk. Dalam on P. Tioman). Yet its presence on very small islands such as P. Sibu Kukus is easily explainable.