The Skink Lizard are the second largest group of lizards in the world.

They live in diverse locations globally. While some skinks lay eggs, others give birth to live babies called skinklets, and at least one species does both. Most of these reptiles live under piles of leaves and logs where they can quickly burrow in the ground or hide in hollow logs when predators, such as foxes and raccoons, are nearby. Some live in wetlands and streams. Skinks are great at climbing trees, where they often hunt for insects, sleep and hide from predators. Find some facts and everything you need to know about skinks here.

5 Incredible Skink Lizard Facts!

• The size of the skink depends on the species. Smaller species are usually 3 inches long, while large species can reach up to 14 inches in length.
• Skinks are often confused with snakes because they have very short necks, small legs, and snake-like body motion.
• The average common garden skink lives for 2–3 years.
• Skinks are diurnal (active during the day).
• While blue-tongued skinks are generally thought of as being very docile and curious, they can deliver a powerful and painful bite.

Skink Lizard Scientific Name

All skinks are members of the infraorder Scincomorpha and the family Scincidae. There are more than 1,500 species of skinks, which are divided into at least seven subfamilies. These subfamilies include:

• Acontinae – These limbless skinks are generally live-bearing sand swimmers who live in Africa.
• Egerniinae – These skinks are found worldwide and can grow up to 220 millimeters (8.6 inches) long. Unlike most skinks, members of this subfamily often live in groups.
• Eugongylinae – Members of this subfamily often live in New Zealand and Australia.
• Lygosominae – Many members of this family are called supple skinks or writhing skinks. They generally live in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa.
• Mabuyinae – These tropical skinks live in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Scientists believe that members of this subfamily rafted from Africa to the Americas about 18 million years ago.
• Sphenomorphinae – Members of this subfamily are sometimes called comb-eared skinks because of how the scales align behind this black skink’s ears.
• Scincinae – Some of the most endangered skinks in the world belong to this subfamily, which often lives in the Philippines and other Southeast Asia locations.

Skink Lizard Appearance

Skinks look like lizards, except that almost all of them have very short legs. Some species of skinks have no limbs at all. Most skinks have no necks.

While it is not always the case, skinks usually have a dark background and light longitudinal stripes. One of the most common skinks in Texas is the five-lined skink. This Texas skink is black, brown, or gray with five long lines down its body, white or yellow. This Texas skink that is often called a common garden skink usually grows to be between 5-and-8-inches long. Young members of this Texas skink family have blue tails.

One of the rarest skinks in Florida is the mole skink. The body of this Florida skink is covered with shiny, armor-like scales. This Florida skink seldom grows to be over 5-inches long. Unlike the blue tail on the common garden skink, this skink has a reddish-pink tail. It is the southernmost skink found in the United States.

Skink Lizard Behavior

Depending on the species, skinks can exhibit many different behaviors. Most are slow-moving reptiles unless they feel threatened. Then, they can run at speeds up to 65 miles per hour.

Some species of skinks have fascinating behaviors. For example, the blue-tongued skink that lives in Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania puffs up its body and sticks its baby blue tongue out when it is frightened. While puffing up its body makes it look bigger, no one is sure why it sticks its tongue out.

Many skinks, such as the blue caboose with its bright blue tail, can shed their tails if caught by a predator. This allows them to get away from danger.

While most skinks are extremely shy, typically, they are not aggressive and are definitely not dangerous. They would prefer to use their fast speed and their ability to hide under logs or piles of leaves to avoid detection. One of the most aggressive species of skink is the blue-tongue skink. Pygmy blue-tongue skinks with their very short blue tails are among the rarest of skinks.

Skink Lizard Habitat

Skinks live in many different habitats. Most are like the common ground skink and prefer to live in an area where they can dig a burrow. As the common ground skink, you may see many sitting on a rock sunning themselves because they are cold-blooded reptiles.

Many, like the five-lined and broad-headed skinks, climb trees. They will often sleep there, and it is often a place to get away from their predators.

Skink Lizard Diet

Most skinks eat insects. In fact, many gardeners try to attract common garden skinks to their gardens because they eat crickets, moths, slaters, earthworms, flies, grubs and caterpillars, and grasshoppers. Most skinks do not have a large appetite, so they may only eat one insect every few days. Some skinks will also eat small pieces of fruit.

Blue-tongue skinks like to dine on insects and fruit. Not all skinks, however, share this preference. For example, the giant water skink lives in Southern Australian streams where it eats tadpoles, tiny frogs, and other small skinks. In Madagascar, skinks even cover crabs with their bodies and break off their limbs for a tasty meal.

Skink Lizard Predators and Threats

Since skinks live in such diverse habitats, they face several different predators. In the wild, crows, hawks, and other birds of prey often eat skinks. They are also a favorite meal for many small mammals, like raccoons, foxes, possums, cats, and dogs. Other members of the lizard family often eat them.

Loss of habitat is also a significant threat for skinks. This is a particular problem in Southern Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands where some species, like the Culebra skink, Mona skink, Puerto Rican skink, greater St. Croix skink lesser St. Croix skink (St. Croix), greater Virgin Islands skink, Virgin Islands bronze skink and lesser Virgin Islands skink that are only found in minimal locations.

Skink Lizard Reproduction and Life Cycle

Depending on the species, skinks can either lay eggs or give birth to young. Scientists believe that the same species of skinks can give birth to live hatchlings and lay eggs. They call this process bimodal reproduction, and there are only about three species of lizards in the entire world that can do this. One of them is the Australian three-toed skink. In Northern New South Wales, this skink gives birth to live young while near Sydney, it lays eggs. Biologists believe that this is an example of reproductive evolution, and eventually, all three-toed skinks will give birth to live offspring.

Skinks that give birth to live offspring carry their eggs in different ways. About 55% of them have eggs that develop inside the mother’s reproductive tract. Others form in the reproductive tract and are fed by a placenta, just like a human baby.

Other species lay eggs in clutches. Most species lay between five-and-30 eggs at one time. Some, like the red-eyed crocodile skink, only lay one egg at a time. The length of time that it takes a skink to hatch also varies widely from 30-to-90 days. It also varies significantly on the level of care given during and after the eggs hatch.

Some males are very active in helping to guard nests, incubate eggs and raise skinklets. Other males are not involved in the process at all, except for being sperm donors. Sexual maturity in male and female skinks is reached at a variety of ages. For example, blue-tongued skinks often reach sexual maturity is reached at about 4.5 months. It is not reached in the red-eyed crocodile skink until the animal is about 3 years old.

Skink Lizard Population

No one is sure how many skinks there are in the wild. In some areas, like Florida, the number is going down because of habitat loss while in other regions, skinks are evolving to live closer to humans.

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