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Prehensile-tailed Skink
Fast Facts
What do they look like?
Prehensile-tailed skinks are a relatively large species of lizard, growing up to 30
inches. They have large, powerful legs and a prehensile tail, as the name suggests.
They have long toes equipped with sharp claws. These adaptations all contribute to
the completely arboreal lifestyle of these reptiles. Their heads are broad and wedgeshaped. They have powerful jaws lined with small teeth. Their color ranges of
different shades of green, with their heads being slightly more yellow. The species
name, zebrata, refers to the reptile’s marbled striped coloration, like that of a zebra.
How do they behave?
Common Name: Prehensile-Tailed
Skink, Monkey-Tail Skink, Solomon
Islands Skink
Unlike most reptiles, prehensile-tailed skinks often live in a social group called a
circulus. Males and females alike are both territorial and will protect their family
group. They are primarily nocturnal, using their exceptional camouflage to remain
undetected while at rest during the day. They rely heavily on their sense of smell to
forage for food at night. Prehensile-tailed skinks obtain the majority of their water
needs through their diet and rarely climb down to the ground to drink.
What’s on the menu?
Scientific Name: Corucia zebrata
Family: Scincidae
Order: Squamata
Class: Reptilia
Range: Solomon Islands
Despite their large jaws, these skinks are herbivores! They feed on the leaves,
flowers, and fruit of the trees they live in. Juvenile skinks also eat feces from the
adults in their circulus to acquire essential bacteria that aids them in digesting their
fibrous diet. At the Zoo, they eat fruit, vegetables, and greens.
How are they born?
Unlike nearly all reptiles, these skinks do not lay eggs. Instead they are ovoviviparous,
giving birth to live young incased in membranous sacs, similar to the casing around
the yolk of a chicken egg. Females have a relatively long gestation period of six to
eight months. A single neonate (newborn) is born roughly one third the size of its
mother. Twins are rare. Juveniles will stay with the circulus for least several months,
often up to one year, before venturing out to start a new family group. During this
time, adults in the circulus, even those not closely related, protect the young.
What should you know about them?
Habitat: Rainforests
Lifespan: 15-20 years
Conservation Status: Lower Risk
Extensive logging in the Solomon Islands has become a threat to the long-term
survival of this species. Hunting by indigenous people of the islands and pet trade
exports also threaten wild populations. In recent years, prehensile-tailed skinks have
been listed under CITES appendix II, indicating that the species may become
threatened. The exportation of this species from the Solomon Islands is now
prohibited in efforts to keep the population stable.
How can you help?
If you are considering a prehensile-tailed skink as a pet, make sure you buy only
captive bred animals from a reputable breeder. Also, you can buy wood that is
sustainably harvested, coffee that is shade grown, and produce that is grown locally.
These products do not require the destruction of rainforest land to grow crops.