Emoia impar
(Werner, 1898)
ee-MOY-ah — IM-par
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
Native to the Pacific islands. It was established on Kaua’i, Hawai'i, but may now be extirpated there (Fisher and Ineich, 2012, Oryx 46: 187–195).
(Krysko, Kenneth and Travis W. Taggart. 2025. Established Exotic Species. Pages 64-87 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)
Errata/Changes: Page 76: Native to the Pacific islands. It was introduced to numerous Hawaiian islands (Fisher and Ineich, 2012, Oryx 46: 187–195) but is now established on Hawai’i (Mautz, 2021, Herpetological Review 52: 717–719) and Mōkapu Island (Wood et al., 2013, Oryx 47: 328). — (07/30/2025)
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.09.06.10.40.49)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.02 MB
Province/State Distribution:
United States: Hawaii
Taxonomic Etymology:
A widespread skink species Named for its morphological distinctiveness.
Emoia — Named by Gray in 1845; the etymology is unclear but may derive from a personal or locality name, possibly linked to Pacific island groups. It may be an arbitrary combination coined by the author.
impar — From Latin impar, meaning “unequal” or “dissimilar.” Possibly refers to distinctive traits that set it apart from related species, such as coloration or scale patterning.<
First instance(s) of published English names:
No historic English names have been assigned to this taxon yet.
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
The Reptile Database
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
|
1898
|
Werner, Franz. Vorläufige Mitteilung über die von Herrn Prof. F. Dahl im Bismarck-Archipel gesammelten Reptilien und Batrachier. [Preliminary information about the reptiles and batrachians collected by Prof. F. Dahl in the Bismarck Archipelago.] Zoologischer Anzeiger [ Zoological Gazette] 21:552-556
|
|
2012
|
Fisher, Robert and Ivan Ineich. Cryptic extinction of a common Pacific lizard Emoia impar (Squamata, Scincidae) from the Hawaiian Islands. Oryx 46(2):187–195
|
|
2013
|
Wood, Kenneth R., David A. Burney, Allen Allison, and Robert Fisher. Emoia impar (Squamata, Scincidae): Not extinct in the Hawaiian Islands. Oryx 47(3):328–328
|
|
2013
|
Wood, Kenneth R., David A. Burney, Allen Allison, and Robert Fisher. Emoia impar (Squamata, Scincidae): Not extinct in the Hawaiian Islands. Oryx 47(3):328–328
|
|
2021
|
Mautz, William J. The Axure-tailed Skink, Emoia impar, remains extant on Hawai'i Island, USA. Herpetological Review 52(4):717–719
|