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Islands are a topsy-turvy world, |
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where evolution seems to follow a different set of rules. |
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North of New Caledonia lies the Solomon Islands archipelago, |
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a scattering of a thousand tropical islands. |
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For the select few animals that arrived here, |
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these were brave new worlds, filled with possibilities. |
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And to make the most of what they found here, |
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some adopted a whole new way of life. |
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Among the successful colonists were skinks |
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- lizards that are usually small with short legs. |
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Quite a variety live here in the Solomons, |
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but there is one in these forests that's unlike any other skink on the planet. |
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The monkey-tailed skink is up to 50 times heavier than your average skink, |
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and is the world's largest. |
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Most skinks spend their lives on the ground, but not this monster. |
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This is the only skink to possess a prehensile tail |
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and unlike nearly all other skinks which dine on insects, |
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this gentle giant is entirely vegetarian. |