Target Species: Green-blooded skinks, Prasinohaema species
Location: Central, Madang & Highlands Provinces, Papua New Guinea
Director: Jon Stephens
Location: Highlands and Madang Provinces, Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea is often billed as ‘The Land of the Unexpected’ and it is certainly that. Five small species of skinks with green blood are found here, the only green-blooded land vertebrates in the world. But why would these small inoffensive lizards evolve green blood? In 1968 research into the blood of green-blooded skinks determined that the colouration was due to the presence of a biliverdin-type pigment, like that found in bile. Mark has a theory that this may make the lizards taste bitter and deter predators, a once tried, never repeated experience for lizard-eating birds. Dr Chris Austin is the only scientist in the world currently studying green-blooded skinks and he has an alternative theory, one that if correct, might lead to a cure for human diseases like jaundice, or even malaria. Mark and Chris set out to scour the mountains and WWII wreck strewn jungles of PNG in an attempt to locate three of the five known green-blooded skink species and obtain blood samples for analysis. But whose theory is closest to the truth?
The Yellow-footed green-blooded skink, (Prasinohaema flavipes), is the largest and probably most widespread member of the genus Prasinohaema.
| BUFONIDAE |
TRUE TOADS |
| Bufo marinus |
Cane toad |
| HYLIDAE |
TREEFROGS |
| Litoria infrafrenata |
White-lipped treefrog |
| Litoria sp. A (PNG) |
(unidentified Highland treefrog) |
| Litoria sp. B (PNG) |
(unidentified Madang treefrog) |
| MICROHYLIDAE |
BURROWING FROGS |
| Phrynomantis wilhelmana |
Mt Wilhelm burrowing frog |
| GEKKONIDAE |
GECKOES |
| Gekko vittatus |
Palm gecko |
| Hemidactylus frenatus |
Common house gecko |
| Lepidodactylus lugubris |
Mourning gecko |
| Nactus pelagicus |
Pelagic gecko |
| SCINCIDAE |
SKINKS |
| Carlia fusca |
Brown four-fingered skink |
| Cryptoblepharus virgatus |
Cream-striped snake-eyed skink |
| Emoia caeruleocauda |
Pacific blue-tailed skink |
| Emoia jakati |
Jakati River skink |
| Emoia kordoana |
Kordo skink |
| Emoia pallidiceps pallidiceps |
Eastern pale-headed skink |
| Emoia sp. A |
(unidentified emoid skink) |
| Emoia sp. B |
(unidentified emoid skink) |
| Lamprolepis smaragdina |
Emerald treeskink |
| Lipinia noctua |
Moth skink |
| Lobulia brongersmai |
Brongersmai’s skink |
| Lobulia elegans |
Elegant skink |
| Papuascincus stanleyanus |
Owen Stanley skink |
| Prasinohaema flavipes |
Yellow-footed green-blooded skink |
| Prasinohaema prehensicauda |
Prehensile-tailed green-blooded skink |
| Prasinohaema virens |
Green green-blooded skink |
| Sphenomorphus jobiensis |
Jobi skink |
| Sphenomorphus leptofasciatus |
Slender banded skink |
| Sphenomorphus maindroni |
Maindron’s skink |
| Tiliqua gigas |
New Guinea blue-tongue skink |
| PYTHONIDAE |
PYTHONS |
| Apodora papuana |
Papuan olive python |
| Leiopython albertisi |
D’Albertis python |
| Morelia amethistina |
Amethystine python |
| COLUBRIDAE |
TYPICAL SNAKES |
| Boiga irregularis |
Brown treesnake |
| Dendrelaphis punctulatus |
Common treesnake |
