SUMMARY

• PREVALENCE: Common

• ACTIVE PERIOD: Diurnal

• KEY ID FEATURES: Brown body with yellow-green flank, extremely long tail, often mor ethan twice the length of the body

• BEHAVIOR: Most often found in weep holes in catchwaters, abandoned buildings etc, often sunning on concrete or rocks

• SIZE: 45cm

• IUCN: LC - Least Concerned

RANGE

GALLERY

IMPORTANT: Many skinks look similar and require experience to identify. Skinks also drop their tails readily if handled which is a stressful and energy intensive issue, so great care should be taken when interacting with these lizards in Hong Kong.

DESCRIPTION

The long-tailed skink is Hong Kong’s largest species by length owing to its extremely long tail, which often measures more than twice the length of the body from snout to vent. They are light brown dorsally with faint dark brown or black stripes running from the neck to the base of the tail. The tail is slightly darker than the body. They have a black stripe running from behind the eye running dorsolaterally and fading in a gradient bt the hind leg. The flanks are yellow-green in color with dark flecks

BEHAVIOR

The long-tailed skink is diurnally active and is often found around concrete structures as well as natural habitat. They bask in the sun on rocks, trail side and concrete strucutres and take refuge in cracks or weep holes in catchwaters during the heat of the day and to rest at night. As with most skinks they predate largely on invertebrates. They are also capable of dropping their tail defensively if harassed and will do so readily.

HABITAT

The species is regularly found around man-made structures including abandoned concrete buildings and catchwaters, as well as most natural habitat in Hong Kong.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

The long-tailed skink can look similar to the Indian forest skink and the brown forest skink with the main distinguishing feature being the extremely long tail of the long-tailed skink which can measure more than twice the body length.