Prehensile Tail Skink

Corucia zebrata

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files, we’re talking about prehensile tailed skinks. We’d like to thank David Simon for today’s unique suggestion and his contributions to today’s episode; many of the images used in this video are of David’s own skink friends. Thanks so much, David!

Prehensile tailed skinks are also known as giant skinks, Solomon island skins, and monkey tailed skinks, and each of these names hold significance to the species. Prehensile tailed skinks are giants with some individuals reaching more than two and a half feet (76.2 centimeters) long. These skinks are thought to be the largest skinks currently living in the world, though where they live is not a big area!

Prehensile tailed skinks are endemic to rainforests of the Solomon island archipelago meaning they’re only found natively in that area of the world. This is important to note because prehensile tailed skink numbers in the wild are falling due to deforestation and hunting. Deforestation can have a hefty impact on prehensile tailed skink populations because these skinks spend a lot of their time in trees. Prehensile tailed skinks are arboreal, and, like many of the monkeys with which they share a name, these skinks have tails which are able to hold onto branches as they traverse the tree tops. Much like the grasping tails of the chameleons we’ve previously discussed, this trait in prehensile tailed skins has left them without the ability to drop their tail in order to make a quick getaway from predators such as birds of prey, snakes, and large rodents. Prehensile tailed skinks have other ways of avoiding being eaten, though.

Aside from spending a lot of their time in the tree canopy, prehensile tailed skinks tend to be either nocturnal or crepuscular meaning they can use their markings and coloration to blend in with their leafy surroundings during the day when their activity levels are low. When they are activity seeking out food, they do so using a strong sense of smell. While most, and possibly all, other skinks are happy munching away on insects and other arthropods, prehensile tailed skinks would rather be eating leaves, flowers, and fruits. Due to this dietary decision, prehensile tailed skinks have to develop the appropriate gut bacteria to digest these foods, and juveniles have been observed eating the waste of their adult group members in order to do so. I kind of feel for them because apparently these skinks have some pretty stinky poos… and considering they use their sense of smell to locate food… eesh.

Speaking of group members, though, prehensile tailed skinks live in small family groups in which all the individuals help to raise and protect the young, something almost unheard of in the reptile world. At about two years of age, a prehensile tailed skink will reach reproductive maturity. Even mating occurs within the trees, and instead of laying eggs, a female prehensile tailed skink will gestate for just over half a year and then give birth to a live baby who is roughly ⅓ her size.

The baby will stay within the group living under the group’s protection for up to a year before starting its own family. Groups seem to be pretty receptive to young members joining them, but they can be pretty territorial around adults. Prehensile tailed skinks may live to be decades old with captive kept individuals usually living longer than their wild counterparts.

If you’re interested in learning more about the husbandry of these animals, we would encourage you to check out David’s group on facebook “Rare Reptiles: Prehensile Tailed Skink Community.” There the group discusses care for captive bred individuals of this species and just generally share a passion for these awesome reptiles.

For more facts on prehensile tailed skinks, check out the the links in the description. Thanks again to David for your help with today’s episode! If you enjoyed today’s facts be sure to give a thumbs up, and thank you so much for watching Animal Fact Files.