Thirteen species of reptiles are recorded from the Hall Islands, all but
two sea turtles for the first time. None of the 11 species of lizards (six geckos, five
skinks) is endemic, and most are widely distributed throughout Micronesia and
often well beyond. Emoia boettgeri has the most limited range, which extends
from Chuuk State in the central Caroline Islands eastward to the Marshall Islands.
Emoia caeruleocauda is the most common skink, and Lepidodactylus lugubris
is the most common gecko. The apparent absence of other common Micronesian
species, such as Nactus pelagicus, Emoia cyanura, E. impar, and Lipinia noctua
is unexpected and possibly an artifact of limited sampling. A recent incident of
turtle poisoning (chelonitoxism) attributed to the consumption of hawksbill turtle,
Eretmochelys imbricata, resulted in the death of six Murilo Atoll islanders and
sickened many others.