Identification
Northern Prairie Skinks are variable in color and pattern. The skin is generally olive or tan, and a light stripe extends from near the eye, down the tail of the body, and is bordered on both sides by dark broad stripes. There may also be faint dark stripes down the back of the animal. During the breeding season, males develop a reddish orange pigment near the mouth and on both sides of the head. Young Northern Prairie Skinks have bright blue tails.
Distribution and Status
The Northern Prairie Skink is found from northern Minnesota south through central
Kansas (US
distribution map). An isolated population can also be found in southern Manitoba, Canada.
In the Midwest, the Northern Prairie Skink can be found in Wisconsin, Minnesota,
and Iowa, as well as Missouri, where it is considered rare and uncommon.
Ecology
The Northern Prairie Skink can be found along stream banks in soft soil, in
gravel glacial deposits, or in rock and sawdust piles. In these environs it
spends much of its time in burrows, some of which are dug by the animal itself.
Resources
General reference guides and websites.
Links to more information on the Northern Prarie Skink outside the Herp Center
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