Identification
The Ground
Skink is a small brownish, bronze, or blackish lizard. A broad dark stripe,
about 1.5 scales wide, runs down each side, extending from the nostril through
the eye and down the length of the body to the tail. The sides of the head and
body can be grey flecked with dark markings. The ventral surface is pale yellowish,
becoming bluish grey on the tail. The Ground Skink is sometimes mistaken for
a salamander, but unlike a salamander it has scales.
Distribution and Status
The Ground Skink ranges from southern New Jersey south to the Florida Keys,
west through eastern Kansas, and central and southern Texas (US
distribution map; Midwest
distribution map). They are absent
from the Appalachians. In the Midwest, the Ground Skink can be found in Ohio,
Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.
Ecology
Ground Skinks prefer dry, sparse woodland areas where they can be found hiding
under rotten logs, rocks, or garbage. They do not generally climb, but will
enter the water from time to time.
Resources
General reference guides and websites.
Links to information on the Ground Skink outside the Herp Center
Illinois Natural History Survey
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499