30/08/2026
We’re delighted to announce the birth of our first ever prehensile-tailed skink at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo! 🎉🦎
Over six years ago, we welcomed two females, Uki and Makira, to the zoo. Last year, we were delighted to find a suitable male to join them and form a social group. Prehensile-tailed skinks are unusual among reptiles for being highly social, often living together in family groups in the wild.
After an incredible nine-month gestation, one of our females has now given birth to a healthy baby, another first for the zoo! 💚
And you might be surprised by just how big a newborn prehensile-tailed skink is compared to its mum! Unlike many reptiles that hatch from eggs, prehensile-tailed skinks give birth to live young, with the newborn arriving already well-developed and ready to explore.
Native to the Solomon Islands, prehensile-tailed skinks are currently classified as Near Threatened, with habitat loss and trapping for the exotic pet trade contributing to concerns about their future in the wild. Conservation breeding programmes in modern zoos help us develop knowledge of their biology, reproduction and husbandry, while providing an important safeguard for threatened species.
They also have a rather unusual habit that helps them make the most of their environment - coprophagy, meaning they eat faeces! 💩🦎 Young skinks consume the droppings of adults, helping them acquire important microorganisms needed to establish their gut bacteria and digest their plant-based diet!
Our newest arrival is doing brilliantly under the watchful eye of our keepers, and we couldn’t be more excited to see our skink family grow.
Come and meet Uki, Makira and their new arrival in our Reptile House on your next visit! 🦎🌿
