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Prehensile tail12/3/2023 ![]() User’s tail may feel pain when being crushed.In some cases, the user may only be able to touch objects but not grab them.Use it to swing or otherwise assist in climbing.Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees. Occasionally, a family will allow an outsider to join their group by “adopting” an orphaned young skink.User has or can grow a prehensile tail adapted to be able to grasp or hold objects. ![]() When offspring reach the age of 1, they are expelled from the group and move on to form their own circulus. Prehensile-tailed skinks are among a rare group of reptiles that form communal groups (called a circulus). This arboreal species with its grasping tail is the largest skink in the world. On average, a prehensile-tailed skink can live for 25 to 30 years. The prehensile-tailed skink is also known by other common names including. Females give birth to only 1 offspring per season. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are herbivores that eat leaves, flowers, shoots, roots and the cambium layer found beneath the bark of some trees. Their gestation period is relatively long, averaging 6 to 8 months. The female prehensile-tailed skink gives birth to her young as opposed to laying eggs. The prehensile-tailed skink is almost exclusively herbivorous, eating fruits and vegetables, however they will consume the occasional insect. They can grow to be up to 30 inches long, making them one of the largest of the skinks. ![]() These skinks have large powerful claws and a long prehensile tail, which enables them to sustain a rich arboreal life. It has a central core of bony vertebrae that are joined together in a much more. They have a short tongue that is broad, flat and fleshy. The prehensile tail acts as a fifth limb. Black, yellow, and shades of various greens decorate the back, tail, and belly in random spots or stripes. These large skinks range in color from dark green to a near black. The head of the prehensile-tailed skink is large and flat with small eyes. It can also be found in trees of semi-cleared areas and cultivated food gardens. Native to the Solomon Islands, the prehensile-tailed skink is strictly arboreal and inhabits the upper canopy of forested areas. It is part of our educational collection and may only be seen in programs inside or outside of the zoo. Elmwood Park Zoo participates in the Prehensile-Tailed Skink Species Survival Plan, a shared conservation effort by zoos throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Solomon Islands government has regulated trade on these and other reptiles to help avoid decreasing populations. The prehensile-tailed skink is a concern due to capturing for the pet trade and habitat loss from logging. The skink will get most of its water intake from its diet of foliage, fruit, and vegetables, but may rarely descend to the ground for water. They are the largest species of skink and the only completely herbivorous skinks. They are the only skinks with a prehensile tail, meaning it can be wrapped around branches for balance. A few include monkey-tailed skinks, Solomon Island skinks and Solomon Island green tree skink. Prehensile-tailed skinks have numerous names.
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