Isn’t this Five-Lined Skink one of the most beautiful lizards you have ever seen? The blue tail, which seems almost to phosphoresce, commands the attention of predators and directs the attack to a less vulnerable area of the body. The tail is detachable and is sometimes sacrificed to save the life of the skink. As a youngster, I was devastated when I lifted my cupped hands and found only a wiggly tail where I thought a lizard should be. Even when I learned that the lizard was fine and would regrow its tail, I felt I had done the creature a terrible wrong.
This is only the second Skink I’ve seen at Blue Jay Barrens. The first was seen more than a decade before I began carrying a digital camera with me. When I see something that I haven’t yet photographed, I take my first shot from the point of first sighting. I’ve learned that sometimes I only get one chance and I don’t want to lose that chance by trying for a better vantage point. This is my first view of the Five-Line Skink. From here I tried for a better position by using my sneaky little stalking maneuvers.
Skinks are fast moving lizards. You don’t expect that kind of speed, because it never seems to lift its body clear of the substrate. It always looks too tired to move, but sight of an insect will cause it to dart forward to capture the prey.
Skinks live in wooded areas, especially areas that have an abundance of downed trees and decaying wood. This specimen was found outside my barn door. I intentionally make piles of logs and old firewood in an effort to attract skinks. Maybe I’m beginning to have some luck. Something I’ve always wanted to see is a skink’s nest. The female creates a chamber beneath a rock or log and lays a clutch of eggs. She stays and guards the eggs until they hatch. Wouldn’t that be neat to see?
I really enjoyed seeing this skink and hope to see it often through the summer. Sometimes I think this is a lizard that would rather be a snake. Look at the way it has its legs. I get the impression it has collapsed and can’t find the strength to lift itself. I’m going to be watching very closely later this summer to see if any baby skinks make an appearance.
Isn’t this Five-Lined Skink one of the most beautiful lizards you have ever seen? The blue tail, which seems almost to phosphoresce, commands the attention of predators and directs the attack to a less vulnerable area of the body. The tail is detachable and is sometimes sacrificed to save the life of the skink. As a youngster, I was devastated when I lifted my cupped hands and found only a wiggly tail where I thought a lizard should be. Even when I learned that the lizard was fine and would regrow its tail, I felt I had done the creature a terrible wrong.
This is only the second Skink I’ve seen at Blue Jay Barrens. The first was seen more than a decade before I began carrying a digital camera with me. When I see something that I haven’t yet photographed, I take my first shot from the point of first sighting. I’ve learned that sometimes I only get one chance and I don’t want to lose that chance by trying for a better vantage point. This is my first view of the Five-Line Skink. From here I tried for a better position by using my sneaky little stalking maneuvers.
Skinks are fast moving lizards. You don’t expect that kind of speed, because it never seems to lift its body clear of the substrate. It always looks too tired to move, but sight of an insect will cause it to dart forward to capture the prey.
Skinks live in wooded areas, especially areas that have an abundance of downed trees and decaying wood. This specimen was found outside my barn door. I intentionally make piles of logs and old firewood in an effort to attract skinks. Maybe I’m beginning to have some luck. Something I’ve always wanted to see is a skink’s nest. The female creates a chamber beneath a rock or log and lays a clutch of eggs. She stays and guards the eggs until they hatch. Wouldn’t that be neat to see?
I really enjoyed seeing this skink and hope to see it often through the summer. Sometimes I think this is a lizard that would rather be a snake. Look at the way it has its legs. I get the impression it has collapsed and can’t find the strength to lift itself. I’m going to be watching very closely later this summer to see if any baby skinks make an appearance.
Wow pretty interesting !! I probably would have thought it was a snake and ran of before I saw that it had legs:0!! Is it very long??? I'm glad he lives down there!!! Happy for you to have one around though and that you have shared this fellow---also nice nice photos of it!!!
ReplyDeleteThere are many times when I read your blog and think "wow, that's so cool - I wish we had something like that around here". Then there are times when I think "Holy crap! Yuck!".
ReplyDeleteThis was one of those time when my mind leaned toward the latter of the two. I suppose, even a homely baby is beautiful in it's mother's eyes. :)
Wow! I have lived in Ohio my entire life and have spent lots of time outdoors, but I've NEVER seen a lizard in this state. Very, very cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks, grammie g. This guy measured about 6 inches tip to tip. He's fast enough that he might be able to beat you in a short race.
ReplyDeleteRenee - I'm sure you're just kidding about the yuck. This is just the sort of thing an almost 9 year old would find and bring home on a super hot 90 degree day.
Rebecca - I hope you do see one of these some day. That super blue tail has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
Hi, my name is Harvey Wilson and I live in West Georgia. I was surprised to see a lizard on my home. I took notice of it's bright blue tail. It was very pretty. I took a picture with my phone and looked it up online, that's when I found your blog and explained that it was a skink. Wow
ReplyDeleteHarvey - I'm glad I was able to help with the identification. I hope you see more of these beautiful lizards.
ReplyDeleteYep I saw these in Northern Florida all over the place you would see 30-100 a day without even trying. I asked a neighbor what you call them he said, "oh them, Thems them Bluetails" Yuck yuck yuck.
ReplyDeleteIt would really be something to have that many skinks around here. I'm lucky if I see one per year.
ReplyDeleteI work from home, positioned at a big window with bushes and trees just outside. My little cat, Piper, watches a couple of these beautiful little skinks every day outside the window on the brick ledge and goes nuts at the window, scraping the glass with his little paws endlessly, as if he could scratch thru it to get to his new playmate. It's absoutely adorable, funny, and gives me a nano-break from the work to watch his antics while "Skinky" just smirks at him and basks in the sun right in Piper's face. Ah, nature, healer of my stress!
ReplyDeleteIt's great when you have such fascinating creatures just outside the window.
ReplyDelete