Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi!
I have dreamed abaut that skink for a long time now, and I think there would be a good chance to get it like next spring or so.

-I would like to now abaut the diet.
Is it completely vegetarian, or does it eat insects too? What does the vegetable food contain;
Fruits or vegetables or only leafy greens or flowers or everything that?
-I read that it lives in small groups. Does it get along alone?
-Where can I find one... Is it true that they are very rare and there are no import from Salomon Island anymore?
Does it breed in captivity often?

Hi Vicarus.

Corucia are believed to be completely herbivorous. I would recommend a diet that's about 80% dark, leafy greens, 15% vegetables, and 5% fruit. Look up information on green iguana diet for specifics about what specific food items would be appropriate.

Wild Corucia are often found in groups, but are also occasionally found singly. I personally do not believe that it is any great disservice to the animal to keep them individually, however there are others who disagree. You should do your own research and make your own decision on that matter. I posted a link a few days ago on a PTS thread here about where to look for more information.

Yes, it seems to be true that Corucia are not currently being exported from the Solomons. The Australian government has taken control there and has initiated strict controls over export of wildlife. However, you really should look for a captive bred animal, no matter what. Wild corucia populations are under a considerable amount of pressure from habitat loss. Adding loss to collection for the pet trade makes their situation even more tenuous. Besides, captive bred animals are much healthier and easier to tame.
So where can you find one? Check on the KS classifieds and on other herp classifieds like [bleep].

Breeding in captivity - if you get a compatible pair - can take place every year or every other year, with clutch sizes of 1-2 babies. The tough part seems to be getting the right pair. Some PTS pairs mate repeatedly with great results. Some mate repeatedly and have a very high neonate mortality. If you intend to attempt mating I recommend that you wait until your female is at least 4 years old and try to find a pair that look very similar. Not a guarantee for success, but things that will at least improve your odds.

Feel free to post here or email if you have more questions. I'm always happy to talk about these guys.

-Z

Hello! I'm on a mission to find a Prehensile Tailed Skink, too. Good luck in finding a CB one, though. I've been searching the internet, asking everyone, but no luck. And i'm refusing to buy WC, because unlike other people, i just want one to handle and keep as a pet, not to breed.

Hello,

I would strongly suggest you consider acquiring as a 'pet' an iguana, leopard gecko, blue tongue skink, or Bearded Dragon. An animal such as these are bred on a regular basis in captivity and have a high number of young produced on a regular basis. Corucia give birth by Viviparous Matrotrophy to generally only one youngster once a year. This low reproductive rate has lead to their rapid decline due to rapid deforestation.

PLEASE do not acquire Corucia if breeding is not a consideration. You are not helping the survival of this species by doing so. By this approach, not acquiring a WC makes no difference to the species ultimate survival. There are many homeless Iguanas or bearded dragons that need homes. As a common species where as individuals they faces certain death if not finding a home. To acquire one of these as a 'pet' makes perfect sense.

Thanks for listening.

Bancrofterin

.

people other than breeders keep these animals sucessfully without harm to anything? You have a very strong opinion on this, but i dont believe that monkey tails are endangered. I personally am considering the purchase of one of these animals, and while i dont have the place to breed this species, i definately think that it would be interesting to keep one. There are many places that breed these animals, for pets and other wise. Your views seem to be quite rigid on this subject. You may want to lighten up a bit. I think that experienced hobbiests should have the right to keep them with out any major issues. I mean honestly, what if nobody ever kept an exotic animal because they couldnt breed them. There would be no market for crested geckoes, and no red ackies being bred in captivity at all...except for maybe in zoos. Cresties were almost extinct, until there was a few keepers, and then a huge market for them...
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"Brains for dinner, brains for lunch. Brains for breakfast, brains for brunch. Brains for every single meal; why can't we have some GUTS?"-Misfits

1.0 ball python- Azazel
1.0 columbian boa- Brooklyn
1.0 red blood python-Hiss
1.0 peach phase thayeri-Sancho
0.1 creamsicle corn- Pandora
0.1 partial stripe ghost corn- Raven
1.0 Sunglow motley corn-Ernie
1.1 hognose- Pricilla and Odd
0.1 russian tortoise- Manja
0.1.1 leos- Boji and Kodama
0.1 beardie- Indie
1.0 BTS- Griffon
0.1 Iggy- Sunny
0.0.2 Red american toadlets with 0.0.7 legs total (er, i have one w/3....)
0.0.1 gray tree frog toadlet
0.0.6 land snails
0.0.2 millipedes of unknown species from TN
5.3 bettas
0.1 pacific parrolet- Mishka
1.1 cats- Cairo and Oberon
2.2 ratties Rizzo, Bounce, Bree, and Blitzkreig

>people other than breeders keep these animals sucessfully >without harm to anything?

A very good question, and one that I haven't quite made up my mind on. But here's how my thinking is going so far-

Assuming a stable market demand for Corucia, and limited production capacity for CB animals: Every WC or CB animal that is bred results in one less animal being removed from the wild. Every animal that is not bred doesn't reduce demand for WC animals. So every un-bred animal is a wasted resource. Why is this different for Corucia than for, say, a green iguana? Currently CB "production" of iguanas exceeds demand. This is apparent when you look at the numbers of iguanas that end up in rescues or being sold at very low prices. Since CB production is higher than demand it has virtually eliminated the demand for more expensive, less healthy WC iguanas. Not breeding an iguana is actually a service, as it reduces the supply - resulting in fewer green iguanas on the market (and in rescues or discarded into the wild). The demand for Corucia far outstrips current CB "production" capacity (we'll leave alone for the moment whether it also exceeds WC production capacity ). Not breeding captive Corucia effectively removes that animal *and all potential offspring* from the market. If that animal had been bred you would have increased CB supply, and reduced WC demand.

> but i dont believe that monkey tails are endangered.

I'm curious about this one. Granted, the research hasn't yet been done to conclusively prove one way or the other what is truly going on with wild Corucia populations, but the evidence points strongly to declining populations. Why is it you believe they aren't at risk? (Please don't take this question as an attack, I am genuinely curious.)

>There are many places that breed these animals, for pets and >other wise.

I've been able to find very few breeders. Do you know of some? I personally know 3 private individuals who breed these animals or are attempting to breed them. I know of at least 2 others on this group who breed them. I don't think any of these 5 people regularly (ever?) sell their animals. I also suspect that Walkabout Farms is breeding them, but again, I'm not sure that they sell them. Most that I see available for sale are from private individuals who don't appear to be breeding in large numbers (or they would have more frequent ads), people selling older pairs, or importers.

> I think that experienced hobbiests should have the right to >keep them with out any major issues.

I agree with you here. You do have the right to keep whatever animal is legal to keep in your city/state/country. However, I believe that you owe it to the animals that you keep and to the other humans that share this planet with you to know the ecological implications of your actions and to give serious thought to the moral issues involved. The fact that you're here having this discussion tells me that you agree with at least part of my last statement, which is IMO a Good Thing, and I commend you.

>I mean honestly, what if nobody ever kept an exotic animal >because they couldnt breed them. There would be no market for >crested geckoes, and no red ackies being bred in captivity at >all...except for maybe in zoos.

This goes once again to the question of how the supply of CB animals matches up to the demand for animals. If it exceeds the demand there is no problem with not breeding your individual animal. If it doesn't, perhaps it isn't a good pet to keep without the intention of breeding.
Looked at from another perspective- if no one bred their pet ackies or crested geckos the only ones you could buy would be WC, or none at all once wild populations were gone.

I look forward to hearing others thoughts on this question.

-Z

I think it's great that you're not considering buying WC. I wish there were more folks with that conviction.

-Z

That was a very eloquent & nice piece of writing, Z. I would just like to also add that as far as a 'pet' lizard goes, Corucia is not for everyone. I would plead to the previous writer to thoroughly research what it takes to maintain these skinks properly before she brings one home. We can debate the issue of responsibility in making sure that PTS are kept in colonies & that we do whatever it takes to ensure their ultimate survival with captive breeding agendas/ programs but that has been such a hot issue here. ( I do believe, however, that they are very social animals & need the interaction with other PTS to thrive, that has been my experience anyway) But, if one chooses to take in a single skink, I think everyone here would agree that they are NOT, (for the most part), 'lap' lizards & that they do REALLY require very special care that is not always easy to achieve. I would ultimately hope though that maybe riotgirl would at least attempt a 1.1 pair. The enclosure, diet, housing & maintenance of Corucia still remains the major expense here when considering how much Corucia really should be under the circumstances.....

Sherri

Thanks Sherri. And I agree wholeheartedly with your comments about Corucia not being a good pet for everyone. They can actually be quite a pain in the butt when you consider their space, diet, and humidity needs. And the expense of getting them set up properly? Yowza! There's the additional consideration of bite strength. I've been bitten by many many herps, and my two worst bites were from a 5' Boa constrictor and a 1' PTS. (Although I suspect the bengal monitor bite would have been the worst if he had gotten more of me into his mouth!)

-Z

You are soooo right, Z! Actually, what prompted my note here on the forum ( I don't do this very often) was that a friend almost had the tip of his index finger severed by a Monkey tail that refused to let go. I feel so passionately for these guys & the nuianses of their personalities that I wanted to make it clear that they are NOT easy to take care of nor can they be considered 'pets' by the standard definition of what a pet actually is or, more importantly, what a person wants them to be. Thanks so much for your comments & insights. Looks like you are the official PTS person of the forum now as the 'regulars' have not appeared for awhile! Our PTS friends do need a voice always though & so your comments & help here are very appreciated from all of us.

Sherri

I have three Corucia, for the purpose of breeding. I've had them about a year now. I think the difference in the Corucia and some of the other animals mentioned is this: that they have a long gestation period, then they just produce (usually) one baby and that IF you let them live the way they naturally would in the circulus in the wild, they would stay with their family group for about a year, as I understand it. So we are talking, what close to three years to produce one animal??? So this is a lot more time and energy than for any of the other lizards mentioned. So I think it isn't a black and white answer but just a matter of degree. IF they are endangered in the wild (I am not taking a stance on that as I honestly don't know, but I'm sure that their situation isn't great) then they are not going to be one that will be big money makers for breeders, so that isn't the incentive and there aren't many people doing it now.....

Lucy
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Lucy
www.smalldragons.com

The only unaddressed point with your logic is.....

Corucia do not produce 20-40 young at various times of the year but usually 1 neonate once a year. Many individuals have bought up this species in get rich quick attempts only to get frustrated at the slow production versus cost. In addition, the potential difficulty to get a good pair to settle down and breed and to get the environmental conditions right. Indeed, many Corucia on the market now are castaways from individuals who got frustrated and gave up the ghost. Since importation has stopped (at least for the present), the point of whether one should purchased a WC is moot unless one is dealing with illegal importation. This could indeed be a possibilty through many backdoor routes (West Irian, Malaysia Etc.). There is so little CB's available that at some point, all Corucia encountered on the market were WC's.

The Rainforests in Bougainville and the Solomons ARE rapidly being depleted and this species is consumed for food as well.

Taking these points into consideration, one should consider what is best for the species and the individual they have or wish to acquire. At some point, Breeding of Corucia should be present in one's thoughts.

Thanks for listening,

OligoTemporatim

If you do feel strongly about getting a corucia as a pet, and have the money to do it and don't intend to breed, be SURE to get a male, as those of us who are breeding will probably keep more females with one male. Buy from someone who really knows what they are talking about with sexing them. -Lucy
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Lucy
www.smalldragons.com

Thanks you all for answers.

Well, I think I will _try_ to breed these lizards some day, but at this time Im looking for one captive bred only. I will buy another one when I have a chance.
In this side of the world it is very, very hard to find one... But I try.

If I have more questions, I'll post them here! :]
Thanks!
-Vicarus

I have a question, what cages do you all use? Are there any companies that make cages good for tthem? Thanks!!

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1.0 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (Don)
0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Sausage Girl)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island Blue Tongue Skink ( Spunky Sebastian)
0.0.1 Ornate Uro (Spike)
1.0.1 Green Tree Pythons ( Male=Floyd, Baby= Verdi)
0.1 Western Hognose (Piggy)
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortiose(Tank)
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake ( Toro)
0.1 Albino Leo gecko (Sasha)

I have kept them in glass and screen enclosures (custom made), in a converted glass display case, and currently my 4 are housed in 2- 4' x 3' x 1.5' wire cages. The only way I can do that though is to keep the ambient temp and humidity in the room very high (High 70's in the day and low 70's at night, and the basking spot does the rest to let them thermoregulate).

One of the wire cages is a ferret play house thingy. The other is one of those self-assembly wire shelf systems with plastic mesh wrapped tightly around it and secured with zip-ties. The front panel of mesh is zip-tied on one side and twist-tied on the other to act as a door.

-Z