Solomon Islands Skink

Corucia zebrata

The world's largest skink, a tree-dwelling, mostly vegetarian lizard of the Solomon Islands with a tail that can grab branches.

🦎 Lizards

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About the Solomon Islands Skink

Solomon Islands skinks, also called prehensile-tailed skinks, live high in the rainforest canopy of the Solomon Islands, north of Australia. They are often found in strangler fig trees. They are mostly vegetarian and are active at dawn, dusk and night. Their grasping tail helps them climb, and they cannot drop their tail when threatened.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Corucia zebrata^[1]
Size: Up to 28 inches (72 cm) from snout to tail tip.^[1]
Weight: 14 to 28 ounces (about 400 to 800 g).^[1]
Lifespan: 15 to 25 years in captivity.^[1]
Diet: Mostly vegetarian.^[1]
Habitat: High in the rainforest canopy, often in strangler fig trees.^[1]
Where it lives: The Solomon Islands, north of Australia.^[1]
Group life: Family groups called a circulus. Active at dawn, dusk and night.^[1]
Babies: Live birth after six to eight months. Usually one baby, about a third of adult size.^[1]
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2011).^[2]

Fun facts

The Solomon Islands skink is the largest skink in the world.^[1]
It cannot drop its tail to escape a predator.^[1]
A newborn skink is already about a third the size of an adult.^[1]

Vocabulary

skink: A kind of lizard with smooth, shiny scales.
prehensile: Able to grab or wrap around things.
live birth: When babies are born instead of hatching from eggs.
canopy: The top layer of a forest, made of treetops.
circulus: The name for a family group of Solomon Islands skinks.

See it in person

Montgomery ZooMontgomery, Alabama · Reptile JunctionSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Prehensile-tailed skink.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/prehensile-tailed-skink (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Corucia zebrata (Solomon Island Prehensile-tailed Skink).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/196593/2463961 (accessed 2026-10-02)