Natural History: Ground Skink

Species: Ground Skink

Scientific name: Scincella lateralis

The smallest skink in the Scincidae family, the ground skink measures roughly 3 to 5 inches. This species has a smooth tan body with a dark stripe down the length of its side (dorsolateral). Fun fact: The ground skink has a transparent disk in the lower eyelid that allows the skink to see when its eye is closed! A new take on sleeping with your eyes open. This small skink scampers over the leaf litter on the floor of the woods. A very skittish creature that takes refuge in the nearest hiding place. As we walked through the trail at Dixie Plantation, a small movement caught my eye. I immediately stopped walking and glanced down. There on the leaves was a ground skink! In a flash, I reach down and scooped it up. I was unable to determine the sex of the individual I caught, but from the size I inferred that it was an adult. The ground skink can be found in along the eastern coast and throughout the southern states. 

I was extremely lucky in catching the ground skink as they are fast creatures that do not hesitate to run to shallow water to escape predation. With their small size, they can easily disappear from view. It was a great field trip! Not only did I catch a ground skink, but we saw a hognose and a timber rattlesnake! It was a very exciting time! With each trip after, I seem to attract the ground skink and have since caught several others on different trips! The ground skink is a pretty cool species and one that is easily recognizable from other lizards.