prehensile-tailed skink
Quick Summary
The prehensile-tailed skink (Corucia zebrata) is the largest species of skink, a type of lizard, reaching up to 76 cm (30 inches) in length. Skinks, belonging to the family Scincidae, are found worldwide, with a particular diversity in Southeast Asia, Australia, and North America.1
These lizards typically have cylindrical bodies, cone-shaped heads, and long, tapering tails. Some skinks, like the prehensile-tailed skink, are arboreal (tree-dwelling) and use their prehensile tails for grasping branches. Skinks primarily eat insects and other small invertebrates, though larger species can be herbivorous. They reproduce by laying eggs or giving birth to live young.12
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