Herpetofauna of Hawaii — Hunsaker and Breese 
427 
number to be accounted for by the escape of 
pet lizards. 
SCINCIDAE 
Snake-Eyed Skink (Ablephams 
boutoni poecilopleurus) 
No important changes have occurred in the 
population of this species. It is still rather com- 
mon in some of the more arid sections, but 
it occurs in definitely localized populations. In 
some areas It is absent, although the environ- 
ment is similar to that of other areas where 
the skink is common. 
Moth Skink (Lygosoma noctua noctua) 
At the present time, the moth skink is found 
only in a small area on the northern coast of 
Oahu, near Kahuku Point. There seems to be 
little doubt that the rapid expansion of Lygo- 
soma metallicum is responsible for the decrease 
in the once large populations of the moth skink. 
The area in which it now occurs is similar to 
large areas of Oahu which are now occupied 
by the metallic skink and at one time were 
occupied by L. noctua. The increase in amount 
of land under cultivation has not been great 
enough to account for the reduction that has 
been observed. No data are available for popu- 
lations once observed on Hawaii, Kauai, and 
Maui. 
Metallic Skink (Lygosoma metallicum) 
Few animals have been so successfully intro- 
duced as was the metallic skink on the island 
of Oahu. Its rapid multiplication on this island 
has produced remarkable numbers in the lower 
areas. It is aggressive with individuals of the 
moth skink, and it is certainly unafraid of 
humans. The success of the species probably 
is due in part to its apparent lack of fear of 
humans. It is easy to approach these lizards, 
and they can be found close to human habi- 
tations. The species is still known only from 
Oahu. 
AMPHIBIA 
Gold and Black Poison Frog 
(Dendrobates auratus) 
This frog has been limited in its distribu- 
tion only to the sites where it was released. 
It was originally introduced in upper Manoa 
Valley in 1932. This site now has a well-estab- 
lished population of frogs which extends to 
lower parts of the valley during the rainy 
season. Additional plantings with subsequent 
establishment have been made in Waiahole 
Valley, and the population has been observed 
to fluctuate in size at this locality, again accord- 
ing to the amount of water available. 
Bull Frog (Rana catesbeiana) 
This frog is extremely prolific and is well 
established on all major islands. No major 
changes in the populations have appeared since 
the 1940s. 
Green Frog (Rana clamitans) 
Since its introduction on Oahu in 1935, no 
great expansion of the population has been 
evident. It is not common anywhere on Oahu 
and has not been reported on other islands. 
Wrinkled Frog (Rana rugosa) 
This species is well established and is quite 
common in some areas. The population size 
varies with the amount of rainfall available. 
During 1962 the populations of most amphib- 
ians were reduced to half the numbers found 
in 1961, when surface water was much more 
plentiful. 
Marine Toad (Bufo marinus) 
This species is found on all the major islands 
and is the commonest species of amphibian. 
SUMMARY 
A survey of the herpetofauna of the Ha- 
waiian Islands was conducted during 1962 to 
determine any changes that might have oc- 
curred in the previous 20 years. New faunal 
species which have become established are 
Anolis pore at us, introduced in the late 1940s; 
Phrynosoma coronutum, introduced about 1955; 
and Hemidactylus frenatus, first observed in 
July 1961. 
Other species have extended or contracted 
their ranges, but no other significant changes 
were observed. It was noted that populational 
variations in amphibians could be attributed 
to annual changes in available surface moisture. 
