Mauritian giant skink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leiolopisma mauritiana |
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| Fossils | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leiolopisma
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| Species: |
mauritiana
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| Synonyms | |
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Didosaurus mauritianus |
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The Mauritian giant skink (Leiolopisma mauritiana) is a large, extinct species of skink It was found only in Mauritius. It became extinct sometime in the 17th century, likely due to human-introduced predators.
Taxonomy
The Réunion giant skink (Leiolopisma ceciliae), another extinct species, was closely related to the Mauritian giant skink. The Round Island ground skink (Leiolopisma telfairii) is a more distantly related surviving species from Mauritius.
Only a semi - complete specimen is known in addition to some odd bones. (Supposedly, a former director of the Mauritian Institute threw away specimens including some bones of this species). The remaining skeleton is missing the feet and digits, thus making it impossible for a SENI biometric analysis per se (Schnirel. 2004). The semi - complete skeleton does have a skull shaped similar to a blue-tongue skink (Tiliqua).
Description
Little is known about this species. It is believed it grew up to around 80 centimeters (31 inches) in length, making it one of the largest skinks in history.
Ecology and behavior
The behavior of this animal is not well known or documented by any travelers to Mauritius when it was extant, however many things such as its diet and other aspects of its behavior can most likely be determined by extant skink species. It is very likely that the Mauritian giant skink shared behavioral traits with many other ground-based skinks such as the blue-tongued skink such as its diet and its overall temperament and speed. It may have been omnivorous, eating a diet of seeds, fruits, invertabrates and small lizards. It was also possibly capable of digging burrows. It's temperament was most likely very similar to that of modern ground skinks and was most likely a very tame animal that had relatively no fear of humans which might have played a part in its extinction.
The restoration undertaken by the (Species in Bronze Project), if accurate, gives a SENI value of .06 which would indicate that this species could have been fossorial or saxicolous in lifestyle. This is further linked by the fact that the closest living relative of this species (as mentioned by the restorers) is the Round Island ground skink (Leiolopisma telfairii). The Round Island ground skink also gives a SENI value of .06. The Round Island skink is a species capable of caudal autotomy. This skink is often seen darting in the underbrush or between rocks.
