Prehensile-tailed skink

Corucia zebrata

Status

Near Threatened

Activity Period

Diurnal

Classification

Reptile

A lizard sometimes called the “monkey-tailed skink”

‘Prehensile’ means “to seize or grasp”. Long, muscular tails – about half their total body length – help skinks maintain balance and climb trees.

tiger licking cage

Habitat

Skinks enjoy humid, tropical rainforests of primary growth.

Range

Solomon Islands (located northeast of Australia) and Bougainville and Baku Islands in Papua New Guinea.

Life Expectancy

While typically living 10-13 years, the oldest skink living under human care was 24 years old.

Diet

Prehensile-tailed skinks are herbivorous, feeding on leaves and fruit. In the wild, their preferred food is the Solomon Island Creeper plant.

Social Structure

Skinks live in small groups of 2-5 and share shelter. Larger groups of skinks may gather where resources are abundant.

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