Solomon Islands skink subspecies ("C. z. zebrata") is found on the islands of Choiseul Island, New Georgia, Isabel, Guadalcanal, Ngela, Malaita, Makira (Solomon Islands), Ugi and Santa Ana. The northern subspecies ("C. z. alfredschmidti") is known from the islands of Bougainville and Buka and the Shortland Island Group. Bougainville and Buka are geographically part of the Solomons Archipelago, though politically part of Papua New Guinea. Both subspecies of the Solomon Islands skink are strictly arboreal, usually inhabiting the upper canopy of forested areas throughout its range. It commonly occurs in the strangler fig tree ("Ficus sp."), provided the epiphytic growth of its several
Malaita Malaita Island (also called Small Malaita or Maramasike), separated by the narrow Maramasike Passage. Beyond that is Makira, the southernmost large island in the Solomon archipelago. Malaita's climate is extremely wet. It is located in the Intertropical Convergence Zone ("Doldrums"), with its fickle weather patterns. The sun is at zenith over Malaita, and thus the effect is most pronounced, in November and February. Trade winds come during the southern hemisphere's winter, and from about April to August they blow from the southeast fairly steadily. During the summer, fringes of monsoon blow over the island. Because of the surrounding sea, air