As in New Guinea, there are no monkeys on these islands,
so this skink simply filled the gap in the market and branched out.
It even forms social bonds with other monkey-tailed skinks,
a rare characteristic among reptiles of any description.
This skink may be an oddity, but that is exactly why it thrives here.
For a leaf-eater these islands are paradise.
For others, though, life can be a little harder.
Islanders only succeed by making the most of what's around them.
Even spiders have their uses.
On Santa Catalina Island in the Solomons,
a fisherman prepares to go fishing.
He seeks out a particular spider web,
one that is strong and intricately spun.
The fish he's after can't be caught on hooks,
their mouths are too narrow.
So he has to be creative.
No rod or reel, just a kite,
and the spider silk, wound into a lure.