'Snake-like' skink lizard spotted in Baguio

One woman from Baguio City couldn't help but feel terrified when she saw what she thought was a snake slithering on the floor of their office.

According to Kuya Kim on "24 Oras," Tuesday, Chin Walcien mistook the creature for a snake, but upon further inspection, realized it had two sets of feet. She surmised it to be around six to 10 inches long, and described it to be brown to black in color.

Per Kuya Kim, what she saw was actually a skink lizard. A skink lizard is often mistaken for a snake due to its long body; it also moves more like a snake than a lizard because of its small legs.

Herpetologist Arvin Diesmos explained on "24 Oras" that skink lizards are also called earth lizards.

"'Yung unique na character nitong lizards na ito palaging nasa ilalim ng lupa. In fact, may mga nakita na kami na behavior na para silang lumalangoy sa lupa, para silang mga ahas na rin kung gumalaw," said Diesmos.

"Isa pang unique na character 'yung bilang ng kanilang mga daliri ay nagbabago. May mga ibang species na kumpleto, lima, subalit may mga species naman na nababawasan."

Skink lizards are also known as the second-largest group of lizards after geckos or "tuko." Kuya Kim said that there are more than 1,200 species of skinks, which can be found in various habitats like forests, mountains, and even urban environments.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News