Solomon Island prehensile-tailed skink

The Solomon Island prehensile-tailed skink spends most of its time climbing trees with its sharp claws and flexible tail. The species is native to islands belonging to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, so its distribution is small and fragmented. Its habitat is being destroyed and lizards are illegally poached from the wild to be traded in the pet market. As a result, the status of the species has deteriorated in the wild. The reproductive rate of the species is also low: the female typically gives birth to only one offspring per year.

The species is part of the CITES convention, which regulates the international trade of endangered or threatened animals and plants.