[1] The Christmas Island forest skink was described by George Albert Boulenger in 1887 based on a single tailless specimen.

[6] As recently at 1998, herpetologist Hal Cogger observed more than 80 forest skinks basking and foraging around a single fallen tree.

[4] The cause of the species' rapid decline is still unknown,[4] although possibilities include predation by yellow crazy ants, giant centipedes, wolf snakes, and cats;[4][7] competition with five introduced reptile species; poisoning from insecticides; and disease.

[4] In the late 2000s, Christmas Island researchers tried to capture forest skinks for a captive breeding program, but only three females were ever found.

[3] Following Gump's death, herpetologists John Woinarski and Hal Cogger wrote that: "For the Forest Skink, the trajectory of decline and the fruitlessness of dedicated searches provide reasonable grounds to presume extinction, although this conclusion may take some years to be officially recognised.