![]() “I have been searching the fragmented cliff-top pandanus groves on the Hāmākua Coast and Kohala Mountains for more lost treasure lizards, so far without luck. ![]() We never recommend setting a lizard trap, since this will typically kill or injure lizards. Shake the mixture well and spray it in the corners of your home, and outside, along access points like doors and windows. “There is a rumored sighting of a blue-tailed skink in pandanus forest in the Kohala Mountains,” he said. For best results, mix a few tablespoons of your pepper of choice with a pint of warm water. So far, Mautz’ findings are unable to confirm if the azure-tailed skinks are restricted to pandanus tree groves and if there are other populations of the lizards elsewhere on the island. “Newer developers favor ocean views over small farms and set landscaped houses close to the edge of the sea cliffs.” “The other difficulty for cliff-edge populations of wildlife on Hawaiʻi Island is that residential property development is rapidly proceeding on the Hāmākua Coast,” Mautz said. Mautz recently published an article about the species’ rediscovery in Herpetological Review.Īccording to Mautz, the disappearance of azure-tailed skinks across the Hawaiian Archipelago throughout the past 100 years could be linked to feral cats, rats, mongoose and invasive species of ants. To confirm its existence on Hawaiʻi Island, Mautz set off on a hike to the lizard population spotted within a small grove of pandanus trees at the edge of the ocean cliffs near Nīnole on the Hāmākua Coast. The azure-tailed skink also has a stripe over the top of its head.” William Mautz They may have a slate-colored tail but it is not a true blue. “The little brown skinks common in Hilo backyards are a different species called the delicate skink. Their smaller legs may mean they look different, skinks are very similar to lizards. “I said I know what it is, but it is not supposed to be here anymore,” Mautz explained. Skinks Skinks are some of the most common types of lizards in The United States. UH Hilo Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science alumnus Aaron Mickelson sent Mautz the photo to get his expert opinion. It was a recently snapped photograph of what appeared to be an azure-tailed skink, a lizard species once commonly found in the Hawaiian Islands and only known to dwell on a tiny 10-acre islet off Molokaʻi. When a former student sent William Mautz, a professor emeritus of biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, a snapshot of a lizard once thought to be extinct in Hawaiʻi-he was instantly curious. It’s no wonder that a wild blue tailed skink prefers to stick with smaller prey, like insects and arachnids, when possible.Azure-tailed skink (Photo credit: Gary Miller) The blue tailed skink usually wins the battle, but they often get injured in the process, and over time, those injuries can kill them. But this is one food that a wild blue tailed skink eats that you should never feed to your pet skink. If a wild blue tailed skink comes across a smaller lizard, there’s a good chance that they’ll try to eat it.
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