Tribolonotus gracilis
Encyclopedia
Tribolonotus gracilis is a species
of skink
found in New Guinea
. They live in tropical forests and have also been found in human-populated areas. They are commonly known as Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks, or, rarely, Red-Eyed Bush Crocodile Skinks.
Tribolonotus gracilis is one of the few species of lizard
s that vocalize when in distress. When startled, they tend to freeze and have been known to "play dead" (even when handled).
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
found in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. They live in tropical forests and have also been found in human-populated areas. They are commonly known as Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks, or, rarely, Red-Eyed Bush Crocodile Skinks.
Tribolonotus gracilis is one of the few species of lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s that vocalize when in distress. When startled, they tend to freeze and have been known to "play dead" (even when handled).