Cryptoblepharus egeriae: Difference between revisions

The Cryptoblepharus egeriae, more commonly known as the Christmas Island Blue-Tailed Skink, once inhabited [[Christmas Island]]. The Christmas Island Blue-Tailed Skink was discovered in 1886.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Boulenger |first=G. A. |date=2009-08-20 |title=On the Reptiles of Christmas Island |url=https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1888.tb06729.x |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=534–536 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1888.tb06729.x |issn=0370-2774}}</ref> In 2002 scientists with the Christmas Island National Parks discovered that species of ants called [[Yellow crazy ant|Anoplolepis gracilipes]] (yellow crazy ant) were becoming a threat to the Christmas Island Blue-Tailed Skink.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Yellow crazy ant biocontrol |url=https://parksaustralia.gov.au/christmas/discover/nature/conservation/yellow-crazy-ant-biocontrol/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=parksaustralia.gov.au |language=en-au}}</ref> Since their introduction in 1980 the yellow crazy ants had started to massively disrupt the [[biodiversity]] on Christmas Island.<ref name=":0" /> This discovery put the Christmas Island Blue-Tailed Skink on the endangered animals list in 2006.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Options beyond captivity for two critically endangered Christmas Island reptiles |url=https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/projects/options-beyond-captivity-for-two-critically-endangered-christmas-island-reptiles#:~:text=The%20blue-tailed%20skink%20(Cryptoblepharus,rapidly%20from%20the%20late%201980s. |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au}}</ref> By 2009 [[Taronga Zoo]] decided to start an active breeding program in hopes of being able to release some of the skinks back into the wild.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Saving the Blue-Tailed Skink |url=http://www.taronga.org.au/media-release/2019-09-12/saving-blue-tailed-skink |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=Saving the Blue-Tailed Skink {{!}} Taronga Conservation Society Australia |language=en}}</ref> However, by 2010 the Christmas Island Blue-Tailed Skink was [[extinct in the wild]].

The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink is a forager known as an [[insectivore]].<ref name=":2" /> Their diet primarily consists of [[Cricket (insect)|crickets]], [[Beetle|beetles]], [[Fly|flies]], [[Grasshopper|grasshoppers]], [[Spider|spiders]], and [[Earthworm|earthworms]] however they will occasionally eat some [[vegetation]], though insects remain their primary source of food. Because of its small size the blue-tailed skink forages for it’s food on the ground and over exposed rocks and low-laying vegetation, and will generally only eat prey that are slower moving.<ref name=":4" />

For the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink, their first [[Seasonal breeder|breeding season]] occurs when they are approximately one year old.<ref name=":4" /> The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink typically lives for seven years in the wild, six of which are active breeding years. The male Christmas Island blue-tailed skink will demonstrate [[Courtship display|courtship]] behaviour when trying to find a mate. The female Christmas Island blue-tailed skink will emit biochemicals for the males to smell, letting them know that the female is in her fertile stage of [[reproduction]].<ref name=":1" /> Male Christmas Island blue-tailed skinks will often fight each other to win a female mate during breeding season. These skinks are [[Polygyny|polygamous]] which increases their chance of having offspring. One the female Christmas Island blue-tailed skink has been fertilised they will lay two eggs with a 75-day [[incubation period]].<ref name=":4" />

The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink is endemic to [[Christmas Island]].<ref name=":5" /> Until the late 90s the skink could be found over the whole of Christmas Island. The skinks population distribution became more sparse once the crazy yellow ants were introduced, leading to a decline in the Christmas Island blue-tailed skinks population.<ref name=":1" />

The Christmas island blue-tailed skink is now extinct in the wild however [[Taronga Zoo]] currently has an active breeding program hosted by [[Taronga Conservation Society]], in hopes of being able to release some of the skinks back into their native habitat.<ref name=":3" /> The breeding program has been running for over a decade. Since the Taronga Conservation Society conservation efforts began 150 Christmas Island blue-tailed skinks have been released back onto Christmas Island and 300 skinks were transported to Pulu Blan.<ref name=":3" /> These skinks were successfully bred in captivity by Taronga Conservation after Christmas Island national parks rangers were able to successfully save 66 skinks before their population was wiped out.<ref name=":3" />

The threat of extinction is largely attributed to the [[Yellow crazy ant|yellow crazy ants]] that were unintentionally brought to Christmas Island in 1980.<ref name=":0" /> Yellow crazy ants had a large growth in their population which coincided with the decline of the Christmas Island bluetailedblue-tailed skink as well as the decline of much of the biodiversity on Christmas Island.<ref name=":0" />