Reptiles · Squamata · Scincidae

Noronha Skink

Trachylepis atlantica

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Noronha skink is a skink of the family Scincidae. It is endemic to the island of Fernando de Noronha, in north-eastern Brazil. It is covered in pale and dark blotches on its upperparts and usually measures around 7 to 10 cm long. Its tail is very muscular, although it breaks off easily. It is very common everywhere on Fernando de Noronha. It is an opportunistic predator that eats insects and plant material, including nectar from the tree Erythrina velutina, as well as all kinds of other things, from biscuit crumbs to eggs of its own species.

Size

8 cm – 11 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestOceanIslandsOmnivore Diurnal Colonial Reptile Rainforest Ocean Islands

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Fun facts

Its ancestors crossed the Atlantic: genetic analyses indicate that the species descends from African skinks that reached the island on rafts of vegetation carried by the currents, a voyage of more than three thousand kilometres.
It is extraordinarily tame and abundant on Fernando de Noronha, to the point of approaching visitors and restaurant tables, behaviour typical of island wildlife with no land predators.
The cats and rats introduced to the archipelago are its main threat, along with the Argentine black and white tegu, also introduced to the island.
It is endemic to Fernando de Noronha, a volcanic archipelago about 350 km off the coast of Brazil, and lives nowhere else.
Its origin is a striking case of oceanic colonisation: its closest relatives are in Africa, and it is thought to have reached the island adrift on floating vegetation across the Atlantic.
It eats everything: insects, nectar, fruit and even scraps of human food, and it has been observed licking nectar from flowers, acting as a pollinator.
It is abundant and confiding, and approaches people in search of food, which makes it highly visible to visitors to the island.
Its main threat is the species introduced to the archipelago, above all cats, rats and the tegu, an introduced lizard that preys on it.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Forest, scrub and rocky areas of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, in Brazil
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 3 months of gestation
Litter / clutch size: 4 live young

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trachylepis_atlantica