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A green Solomon Islands skink climbing on tree branches.
Photo: TimVickers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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.

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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

Sources

  1. [1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Prehensile-tailed skink.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/prehensile-tailed-skink (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [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)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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