Macroscincus

Macroscincus coctei, also called the Cape Verde giant skink, lagarto, or Cocteau's skink, is a species of lizard, a reptile that was at one time known to inhabit the islets of Branco and Raso in the Cape Verde islands of the Atlantic Ocean, rendered deserts by human-caused habitat destruction. No Macroscincus coctei has been observed since early in the 20th century.

Etymology

The specific name, coctei, is in honor of French physician and zoologist Jean Théodore Cocteau (1798-1838).

Description

M. coctei was very large for a skink. Adults could attain a snout to vent length (SVL) of 32 cm (13 in), and the cylindrical tail was as long as the head and body.

Decline of population

Causes cited for their decline include over hunting for food and use for "skink oil" by natives of neighboring islands and prolonged drought. At one time, starving convicts were marooned in the Cape Verde archipelago and ate the extant population of Macroscincus coctei. An explorer, Leonardo Fea, brought back several specimens which are now housed in Italy. This constitutes the extant specimens of Macroscincus coctei. Subsequent explorers such as Sheliech, Andreone, and Pather, have failed to find living Macroscincus. In the early 20th century, German herpetologists tried to captive-breed this species to no avail.