Prehensile | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Prehensile-tailedskinksarenativeonlytotheSolomonIslands,anarchipelagointhePacificOceanlocatednortheastofAustralia.Theyarerainforestanimalsthat ...

Prehensile-tailed skinks are native only to the Solomon Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean located northeast of Australia. They are rainforest animals that live in tall trees.

Prehensile-tailed skinks are almost exclusively arboreal, which means that they rarely descend to the ground. They are well adapted for life in trees. They use their long, prehensile tails to grasp branches and maintain their balance. (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.

During the day, prehensile-tailed skinks stay hidden among branches and in tree hollows. They are active in the early morning and early evening and perhaps also at night. They move slowly through the trees, feeding on leaves and fruit. They are particularly fond of the Solomon...