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Western Skink
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Lacertilia (=Sauria) (lizards)
- Family: Scincidae (skinks)
- Genus: Eumeces (North American skinks)
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| Also known as:
"scorpion" (young have blue tails, and are thought by
some to be poisonous), Skilton's skink |
Scientific Name: Eumeces
skiltonianus skiltonianus (Baird & Girard, 1852) |
| Habitat: Forest, open
woodland, grassy areas with scattered rocks; often found under
cover. |
Eu="good," mekos="length,"
skiltonianus in honor of Dr. Avery J. Skilton, who sent
specimens to Bair and Girard
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| Length: To about 9.5 inches
total. |
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| Food: Various insects
and arachnids. |
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| This juvenile skink was found
under a piece of plywood by a friend of mine near Riverside.
Adult Western skinks are not quite as colorful; the markings and
bright blue tail tend to fade with age. The day this lizard
was found was fairly cool, so it didn't squirm too much as I held
it (normally, it would). |
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