Archives of The Cold Blooded News

The Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological Society

Volume 32, Number 5;   May, 2005

Western Skinks

by Cat Murphy

Western Skinks, or Eumeces skiltonianus, are a small species of skink, with adults reaching lengths of only 2-4 inches snout to vent length. What these skinks lack in size, is made up with speed, which allows them to escape from predators. Western skinks are well known for their easily broken off tail if caught, which will continue to wiggle and twitch after the skink is long gone, thus confusing the predator and saving the skink.

The Western skink is often called the "blue-tailed lizard" because of the unusually bright blue tail found in younger specimens. Otherwise, the skink is a striped mix of brown, cream, and black colorations. Older adults' colors fade as they age, becoming quite dull, with the tail becoming gray-brown. When breeding season comes around, males often develop a salmon, red or orange color about their chin and head, almost reminiscent of a bad lipstick application. With the species being sexually dimorphic, females are less colorful than males.

Western skinks have a very wide range across the Pacific Northwest. There are three recognized subspecies across the United States, two being found in the Northwest. These are the Skilton skink, (Eumeces skiltonianus skiltonianus) and the Great Basin skink, (Eumeces skiltonianus utahensis). The Skilton skink is found throughout Eastern Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and in some parts of Northwestern Nevada. Coloration of the Skilton skinks are typically light, narrow side stripes, and a dark-edged, brown dorsal stripe. The Great Basin skink can be found in Central and Eastern Nevada, parts of Utah, Idaho, and some scant populations in Southeastern Oregon. The dorsal stripe of the Great Basin is not edged with a dark pigment, and the side stripes are wider further down the body. There are possible ranges outside the Northwest area in more southern parts of California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.

Typical habitats where skinks are found include woodlands, dryer areas, rocky canyons, and mountain pine. These skinks avoid the overly damp areas of the Pacific Northwest; preferring warmer areas where sunny basking spots abound, as well as lots of cover under scattered leaves, rocks, and dead trees. Especially favored are flat stones, which absorb the sun's heat and warm the skink as it hides underneath, and pieces of bark or flat wood over soft soil for burrowing. Sometimes skinks are found around farming areas, which leave about piles of wood litter, attracting lots of insects, grubs, and earthworms, their favorite foods.

Western skinks are an egg-laying species, like most lizards. After mating season, in June or July, females will lay up to ten eggs in safe places such as under rocks and logs, and will stay with the eggs until they hatch. Hatching takes place a few months later, in late July or August. Babies hatch out and then leave their mother to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, many are eaten by predators, sometimes adults of their own species. These skinks seem to do well, however, as plentiful numbers of them are seen each year.

Sources cited:
St. John, Alan. Reptiles of the Northwest Lone Pine, 2002
Seattle Audubon Society. Reptiles of Washington & Oregon, SAS, 1995
Society for NW Vertebrate Biology. Northwest Fauna, Number 3, 1954