Sphenomorphus kinabaluensis

S. kinabaluensis resides in the southern part of the Crocker Mountains to southwestern Sabah, including Lumaku, Mesilau, and Sunsuron, with a possible habitat extension further south to neighbouring states of Sarawak and Kalimantan of Indonesia.^[3] The skink was also identified in Marai Parai, northwest of Mount Kinabalu.^[4]

S. kinabaluensis was firstly identified as Lygosoma kinabaluensis by Edward Bartlett in 1895,^[5] and also formerly described as an Otosaurus species,^[6] before its genus was reclassified as Sphenomorphus.

Bartlett initially described S. kinabaluensis as similar to S. variegatus, but with a mottled back with no striations, and without a distinct dorsolateral band, with Smith called it a "high altitude derivative" of S. variegatus.^[5][7] It was also been described as similar in shape with lowland-living S. cyanolaemus in general, but with a more elongated trunk, fewer scale rows and sub-digit lamellae.^[3]

Its head and body length is around 51 mm, with a tail length of 67 mm.^[7] Its snout is obtusely-pointed with a scaly lower eyelid, and an ear opening without lobules nearly as large as its eye-opening.^[7] S. kinabaluensis has around 32–38 midbody scale rows and 80–89 paravertebral scale rows.^[3][8] S. kinabaluensis has 5–6 supraocular scales, including one with parietal contact. Its lamellae is smooth, totaling to 15–17 lamellae (on the 4th toe).^[8]

S. kinabaluensis is one of the few montane Sphenomorphus species, residing on altitudes above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).^[3]