Cryptoblepharus egeriae: Difference between revisions

The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink was [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[Christmas Island]] until the late 1990s when it could be found all over the island.<ref name=":5" /> It currently exists in captive populations on Christmas Island, at Taronga Zoo, and on a small island (Pulu Blan) in the [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]] where it has been released as part of an [[Assisted migration|assisted colonization]] trial.<ref name=":3" />

The threat of extinction is largely attributed to introductions of invasive species, including a predatory wolf snake and the yellow crazy ant which were unintentionally brought to the island in the 1980s.<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> 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]], inwhich hopesoriginated offrom being66 ableskinks tothat releasewere somebrought ofinto thecaptivity skinksbefore backtheir intopopulation theirwas nativewiped habitatout.<ref name=":3" /> The breeding program has been running for over a decade., Sincewith the Tarongagoal Conservationof Societyreleasing conservationsome effortsof began, 150 Christmas Island blue-tailedthe skinks have been released back ontointo Christmastheir Island,native and 300 skinks were transported to Pulu Blanhabitat.<ref name=":3" /> TheseSince skinks were successfully bred in captivity bythe Taronga Conservation afterSociety Christmasconservation Islandefforts nationalbegan, parks300 rangersskinks werehave been ableintroduced to successfullythe save[[Cocos 66(Keeling) skinksIslands|Cocos before their population was wiped outIslands]].<ref name=":3" />

''C. egeriae'' is most closely related to the [[Cryptoblepharus metallicus|''metallicus'']] group of ''[[Cryptoblepharus]],'' native to Australia, with the estimated divergence of ''C. egeriae'' from the group taking place around seven million years ago,<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Oliver |first=Paul M. |author-link=species:Paul M. Oliver |last2=Blom |first2=Mozes P. K. |last3=Cogger |first3=Harold G. |last4=Fisher |first4=Robert N. |author4-link=species:Robert N. Fisher |last5=Richmond |first5=Jonathan Q. |last6=Woinarski |first6=John C. Z. |date=2018-06-30 |title=Insular biogeographic origins and high phylogenetic distinctiveness for a recently depleted lizard fauna from Christmas Island, Australia |url= |journal=Biology Letters |volume=14 |issue=6 |pages=20170696 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2017.0696 |pmc=6030605 |pmid=29899126}}</ref>