Prehensile-tailed skink, Monkey-tailed skink, Giant skink, Zebra skink, Monkey skink
The Solomon Islands skink (Corucia zebrata) is the largest known extant species of skink. In 1997 it was determined that there are two subspecies of the Solomon Islands skink: the Common monkey-tailed skink and the Northern monkey-tailed skink. Extensive logging and other serious threats have affected wild populations of this species. It is protected under CITES Appendix II and export of this animal from the Solomon Islands is now restricted.
The Solomon Islands skink has a long, slender body, strong, short legs, and a triangular-shaped head with small round eyes. The skink has a strong crushing jaw but the teeth are small and used for eating plant material. Its prehensile tail helps it maneuver from branch to branch with ease and gives the skink its more common names: monkey-tailed skink, prehensile-tailed skink, or monkey skink. Males tend to have a broader head and a more slender body shape than do female skinks. Males have a V-shaped pattern of scales just aft of the cloacal opening, which is not present in female skinks. The scales of Solomon Islands skinks are dark green but are often speckled with light brown or black. The scales on the underside vary from light yellow to different shades of green. The toes on all four legs have thick, curved nails used for climbing and gripping tree limbs.
Solomon Islands skinks are native to Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands archipelago, a group of islands in the south-west Pacific Ocean. They live in trees in semi-cleared areas and cultivated food gardens, especially where the strangler fig trees are present.
Solomon Islands skinks are one of the few species of reptile that live in a communal group known as a circulus. They are strictly arboreal, usually living in the upper canopy of trees. The adults commonly establish a territory within the canopy of one tree. They are most active during the dusk and dawn hours, feeding primarily at dusk. They are also active and eat during the hours of dawn, though to a lesser extent. Solomon Island skins have quite good eyesight and rely upon it to identify threats, as well as potential food. They rely heavily on their sense of smell and use it to identify their territory and other members of their circulus. Both males and females are territorial and often hostile towards members not a part of their family group. Like snakes, the skink "smells" by flicking its tongue to gather scents and when the tongue is retracted, it touches it to the opening of a Jacobson's organ at the roof of its mouth.
Solomon Islands skinks are herbivores (folivores, frugivores), feeding on the leaves, flowers, fruit, and growing shoots of several different species of plants. Juveniles often eat feces from adults in order to acquire the essential microflora to digest their food.
Solomon Islands skinks reproduce by viviparous matrotrophy. The female provides a placenta for its young, which are born after a gestation period of 6 to 8 months; this is a rare trait among reptiles. The newborn skink is of large size compared to its mother; they are approximately 29-30 centimeters (11-12 in) in length and weigh 80-175 grams (0.18-0.386 lb) when they are born. Almost all births are single babies, but occasionally twins will be born. Females exhibit fierce protective behavior around the time of birth; this protectiveness of young is a rare occurrence in reptiles but is shorter in duration when compared to the protective behavior exhibited by a typical mammal. The newborn skink will stay within its circulus for 6 to 12 months during which time it will be protected by not only its parents but other unrelated adult skinks within the group. Around one year of age, sometimes earlier, the juvenile will move off to form a new family group. However, some individuals stayed within the group for several births without being expelled.
The main threats to Solomon Island skinks include extensive logging, consumption for food by native people, and export demand for the pet trade.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Solomon Island skink total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
