Mauritian Giant Skink

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.

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, invertebrates and small lizards. It was also possibly capable of digging burrows. Its 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.