CIBED - - Blue-tailed Skink

Emoia impar Blue-tailed Skink Mōtukutuku ^MG

f.SCINCIDAE Skinks

Emoia impar Blue-tailed Skink Mōtukutuku ^MG

f.SCINCIDAE Skinks

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesBlue‑tailed Skink ^EN Dusky‑bellied Skink ^EN

Local NamesP,?N^RR,AT Mōtukutuku^MG Moko Kākāra^MK Moko^MT,PK

Pacific NamesNo Content

Sci. NamesEmoia impar (accepted name) , Lygosoma (Emoia) impar

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Vertebrates, o.Snakes and Lizards, so.Lizards, f.Skinks - Lizard

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.CHORDATA, sp.GNATHOSTOMATA, spc.TETRAPODA, c.REPTILIA, o.Squamata, so.Lacertilia, f.SCINCIDAE

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺⁺⁺MG⁺⁺⁺AT⁺⁺⁺MK^PMT?AK?PL^-MN⁺⁺TK^-

Nth. PresenceTN^-MH^-RK^-PK⁺⁺⁺NS^-SW^-

VouchersMN¹⁹⁹⁷ PK²⁰⁰⁴

Local OriginIntroduced; Polynesian; Naturalised

Global RangeNo Content

HabitatLand - Lowlands - Coastal, Makatea, Horticultural Zone, Domestic; Uplands - Slope Zone

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessNo Content

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesNo Content

IdentificationNo Content

Multimedia & Other Resources

Photographs: 12
Video: 0
Audio: 0
Documents: 0
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5BC005_Emoi-impa_

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Bronze and Typical morphs

Typical with blue tail

Typical impar and Typical cyanura together

Typical with blue tail

Typical with unusual brown tail

Bronze beside Typical

Bronze (Mangaia)

Bronze with scale fusion detail

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Bronze and Typical morphs (jpg)
Typical with blue tail (jpg)
Typical {impar} and Typical {cyanura} together (jpg)
Typical with blue tail (jpg)
Typical with unusual brown tail (jpg)
Bronze beside Typical (jpg)
Bronze (Mangaia) (jpg)
Bronze with scale fusion detail (jpg)
Mating (jpg)
Bronze (Rarotonga) (jpg)
Unusual, without any fused midline scales (jpg)
No Caption (jpg)

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Blue-tailed Skink ^EN Dusky-bellied Skink^EN [a poor field feature]

Pacific Names

No Pacific Names

Local Names

P,?N^RR,AT Mōtukutuku^MG Moko Kākāra^MK Moko^MT,PK

National Name: Mōtukutuku ^MG

Island	Status	Main name
National name	MG	Mōtukutuku
Rarotonga	++++	P,?N
Mangaia	+++	Mōtukutuku
Ātiu	+++	P,?N
Ma‘uke	P	Moko Kākāra
Miti‘āro		Moko
Aitutaki		?P,?N
Palmerston	-	A,nN?
Tongareva-write	-	A,nN?
Tongareva-speak	-	A,nN?
Manihiki	-	A,nN?
Rakahanga	-	A,nN?
Pukapuka	+++	Moko
Nassau	-	A,nN?

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

Absent

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	++++
Mangaia	+++
Ātiu	+++
Ma‘uke	Present
Miti‘āro
Aitutaki
Palmerston	Absent
Manuae	++
Takūtea	Absent
Tongareva	Absent
Manihiki	Absent
Rakahanga	Absent
Pukapuka	+++
Nassau	Absent
Suwarrow	Absent

Note: S.Group widespread

Vouchers for:
Emoia impar

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga

Mangaia

Ātiu

Ma‘uke

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki

Palmerston

Manuae _____ 1997 2fs fieldspecimen 1997-10, fieldspecimens, bright blue-tailed, several on Manuae G.McCormack with id as Emoia impar.

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka _____ 2004 1csP specimen+photo specimen+photo, 2/2004, uncommon around swamplands and in dark-soil areas in Motu Uta and Motu Kotawa, G.McCormack with ID as Emoia impar showing blue tail and medial scale fusion, to AuckMus LH2699, 2701, 2703, 2706-8, 2721-3 ID-confirmed B.Gill.

Nassau

Suwarrow

no data available

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

no data available

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

no data available

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.04.03 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Pacific Names

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

Accepted Name

Synonyms

National Distribution & Vouchers

Vouchers for:
Emoia impar

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

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Accepted Name

Synonyms

Vouchers for: Emoia impar

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Emoia impar