Day 7 • 2 July 2016 • Skink and Snorkel Extravaganza #spectacular

During a discussion of our reptile findings last night, Kaitlin Rickerl proposed a specific project for today in light of a research paper she read. In the 1980s, a scientist colleague came to Arno Atoll and searched for species of skink on many of the islets. However, he did not visit the several islands just to the north of our current location. Kaitlin proposed that we walk to the ocean channel north of us to snorkel to the first island, and then on to as many others as we could fit into the day. Thus, we set off on a day trip to the islands to look for skinks!

Equipped with snorkeling gear and our usual photography getup, we found the first channel easy to cross at low tide. Although the broken corals in the channel made walking a little tricky (and help tire out legs that had to walk for 40 minutes to get to the channel in the first place) we successfully identified four species of skink on the first island. We then crossed to the second island, separated by an even smaller channel, and identified three skink species. At this island, some team members snorkeled into the lagoon to look for elkhorn coral, while five of us waded across a rather wide channel to the third island, on which we only found two skink species. When it was time to retrace our steps, the tide had come in so that instead of retracing steps we were forced to snorkel across. This was a little laborious, since none of us were particularly well trained in finning across a half-mile expanse of water, but with several rests in the places where it was possible to stand, we managed to get back safely. Jose Huerta, who had been working on his drone-operating skills, even sent out the drone, now known as Marlin, across the channel to take a look at what we were doing! Here is a link to what footage shot by Marlin looks like.

Given that the tide was now in, both of the other channels required various levels of snorkeling and this, along with walking along each island’s shoreline to the next channel, was overall a tiring experience. We emerged at the end with great data for three islands that had never been surveyed, tired, slightly sunburnt, and ravenous. After a snack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Chef Morgan and her sous-chefs once again delivered a scintillating meal of mostaccioli with a green bean and spam sauce.

Walking across the channel between Arno and its neighboring islet is a little bit of a challenge. The water is only knee-deep, but part of the coral bottom is hard to navigate!

  

Turning over a coconut husk pile in search of skinks. From left: Jose Huerta, Mindy Hull, Morgan Lewis, Mitzia Zambada, Alex  Mitchell.

And this is how you find skinks! Mitzia Zambada pointing out to Dakota Brooks where to look for the lizard.

Kaitlin Rickerl, in pin-up pose, accenting the natural beauty of Arno Atoll.

The professor beginning to create a photography setup to take research-grade photos of reptiles. This would work much better were it not for that pesky feline that literally moved in whenever we were around. Photo courtesy of Kaitlin Rickerl, cat lover.

A sampling of skinks. Emoia boettgeri from an islet just north of Arno Island. Photo courtesy of Kaitlin Rickerl.

Emoia cyanura from Arno Island.

Emoia caelureocauda, with a nice blue tail and coloration that extends to the hind legs. Photo courtesy of Kaitlin Rickerl.

Lamprolepis smaragdina, the emerald tree skink, which I know well from our work in Timor-Leste, where this species has a bright green or brown coloration. On Arno, they are bright green, greenish yellow as seen here, or even brown. Photo courtesy of Kaitlin Rickerl.