![]() These animals are managed separately from the rest of the Zoo’s collection and cannot be seen on exhibit at the Zoo. The Maryland Zoo refers to its special collection of education program animals as “Animal Ambassadors.” The Zoo currently cares for more than 60 Animal Ambassadors, representing more than 40 species, both native and exotic. The Story Continues What is an Animal Ambassador? What is an Animal Ambassador? It is illegal to export them from the Solomon Islands. Prehensile-tailed skinks are protected under Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). The Solomon Islands are undergoing rapid deforestation for agriculture and the lumber industry, which puts pressure on rainforest-dependent species such as this one. However, they are known to be threatened by ongoing habitat loss on the Solomon Islands and over-collection for the pet trade. Prehensile-tailed skinks have not yet been assessed by the IUCN, the world’s leading conservation organization, and therefore have no IUCN listing. When threatened, this typically sluggish and docile reptile will hiss and possibly bite in self-defense. They are also threatened by people who capture them illegally for the pet trade. Prehensile-tailed skinks may be preyed upon by birds of prey, snakes, and rats. Baby skinks will stay with their family groups indefinitely, until moving on to form their own new family groups. The offspring are remarkably large – about 1/3 the size of the adult female! Both parents help protect their offspring for the first several months. After a gestation period of seven to eight months, females give birth to one, sometimes two, offspring. ![]() Prehensile-tailed skinks are one of very few reptiles to give birth to live young. It is also the only known species of skink to be entirely herbivorous. It is the only known species of skink with a grasping, or prehensile, tail. “Making My Mark”Īmong skinks, the prehensile-tailed skink is remarkable in many ways. They form social groups made up of one or more bonded pairs of adults plus several other related or unrelated skinks. Some of the plants that they eat are known to be mildly toxic but seem to cause the skinks no ill effect.Īlthough shy and reclusive, prehensile-tailed skinks are also oddly social for reptiles. They are particularly fond of the Solomon Island creeper plant. ![]() ![]() They move slowly through the trees, feeding on leaves and fruit. They are active in the early morning and early evening and perhaps also at night. (The word prehensile is derived from the Latin verb prehendere, which means “to seize or grasp.”) They also have hooked claws on their long toes that act as climbing picks when they move up, down, or along a trunk or branch.ĭuring the day, prehensile-tailed skinks stay hidden among branches and in tree hollows. They use their long, prehensile tails to grasp branches and maintain their balance. Prehensile-tailed skinks are almost exclusively arboreal, which means that they rarely descend to the ground. ![]() They are rainforest animals that live in tall trees. Prehensile-tailed skinks are native only to the Solomon Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean located northeast of Australia. Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion. ![]()
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