CHAPTER-3

SKINK

INTRODUCTION
Skinks are a family of small lizards, the Scincidae. There are over 1,500 different species of skink. Skinks
are different from other lizards. ... Some have no legs at all; these move more like snakes han lizards

Skink, (family Scincidae), any of about 1,275 species of lizards, mostly secretive ground dwellers or
burrowers, that are represented throughout most of the world but are especially diverse in Southeast
Asia and its associated islands, the deserts of Australia, and the temperate regions of North America.

Generally skinks are no longer than 8 inches. Most skink species have short legs that are well-formed and
a few have no legs at all. They often look like a snake crawling about. ... Skinks have dark-colored bodies
with a colored stripe or stripes running the length of their body.

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Superfamily:Scincoidea

Family: Scincidae

Gray, 18251) The Egg – Stage 1 –

LIFE CYCLE

1) The Egg – Stage 1 –

The pattern in which adult lizards lay eggs vary from one species to another. While
some lizard species like Anoles lay one egg in one clutch, the other species like
skinks lay clutches of two eggs. The clutch size of eggs refers to the total number
of eggs laid in one attempt. In appearance, the lizard eggs are leathery-shelled
and porous, which means the eggs can stretch by absorbing the moisture. Some
female lizards even bury their eggs in order to protect them from predators.

2) The Juvenile – Stage 2 –

In this stage, the young lizard is left to survive on its own. Parental supervision by
adult lizards is very less during this stage. The young lizards develop and grow into
the size of an adult after some time.

3) The Adult – Stage 3 –

When the lizard enters the adult stage, it is sexually mature and ready to mate.
Mating in lizards depends on the season, for example the frilled lizard begins
mating during the wet season. The male lizards attract female lizards by expanding
their frills. After fertilization the female lizard is capable of laying 8 to 23 eggs,
depending upon the species. Green iguanas usually mate during the winter
season. A female green iguana can lay a clutch of 20 to 71 eggs.

DISCRIPTION

The skink skull is covered by substantial bony scales, usually matching up in shape
and size, while overlapping.[5] Other genera, such as Neoseps, have reduced limbs
and fewer than five toes (digits) on each foot. In such species, their locomotion
resembles that of snakes more than that of lizards with well-developed limbs. As a
general rule, the longer the digits, the more arboreal the species is likely to be. A
biological ratio can determine the ecological niche of a given skink species. The
Scincidae ecological niche index is a ratio based on anterior foot length at the
junction of the ulna/radius-carpal bones to the longest digit divided by the snout-
to-vent length.[6]
Most species of skinks have long, tapering tails they can shed if predators grab
onto them. Such species generally can regenerate the lost part of a tail, though
imperfectly. A lost tail can grow back within around three to four months.[7]
Species with stumpy tails have no special regenerative abilities.

BEHAVIOUR

A trait apparent in many species of skink is digging and burrowing. Many spend
their time underground where they are mostly safe from predators, sometimes
even digging out tunnels for easy navigation. They also use their tongues to sniff
the air and track their prey. When they encounter their prey, they chase it down
until they corner it or manage to land a bite and then swallow it whole. They can
be voracious hunters.

EVOLUTION

Skinks are lizards, but some species have lost their limbs over eons of evolution,
giving them a snakelike look. ... Now, the researchers behind the racetrack write in
Proceedings of the Royal Society B in a paper published Wednesday that skinks
with limbs move faster and burrow better than their limbless compatriots

TYPES OF SKINKS

common garden skink

Lampropholis guichenoti can grow to a maximum of 14 cm, but rarely exceeds 9

cm. According to statistics, the average common garden skink lives for 2–3 years.
The garden skink usually has a browny black colour and sometimes may appear a
dark shade of red when bathing in the sun. The lighter their colour the more
energetic they are. They have small sharp teeth which easily slice through smaller
prey. Even wild individuals are very docile, and rarely bite humans when touched
or picked up.
Western skink

The western skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus) is a species of small, smooth-scaled

lizard with relatively small limbs. It measures about 100 to 210 mm (about 4 to
8.25 inches) in total length (body + tail). It is one of seven species of lizards in
Canada. They spend much of their day basking in the sun. Their diet ranges widely,
including spiders and beetles. Western skinks will bite if grasped and will flee if
they feel threatened.

Rainbow skink
No skink in the world is venomous, so being bitten or stung by one is not a
problem. ... As with many lizards, when a skink is attacked, its tail will break off
and continues to wiggle, distracting a would-be predator. Some skinks may be
poisonous to eat.

Rainbow Skinks are omnivores so that means they are like us, they eat both plants
and animals. Rainbow Skinks eat larger insects including Crickets, Snails, Meal
Worms, Earth Worms, Flowers, Caterpillars, Beetles, Spiders, Grasshoppers, small
Lizards and Fruit.

Plestiodon japonicus

Plestiodon is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae (skinks). The genus contains
many species formerly classified under the genus Eumeces, except those now
placed in Mesoscincus. They are secretive, agile animals with a cylindrical body
covered with smooth, shiny scales. They are distributed from East Asia to
throughout North America from southern Canada south to Mexico, including
oceanic islands such as Bermuda.
CONSERVATION

Skinks look like lizards of the family Lacertidae (sometimes called true lizards), but
most species of skinks have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. Several
genera (e.g., Typhlosaurus) have no limbs at all. This is not true for all skinks,
however, as some species such as the red eyed crocodile skink have a head that is
very distinguished from the body. These lizards also have legs that are relatively
proportional to their body size.

CHAPTER-3

SKINK

INTRODUCTION
Skinks are a family of small lizards, the Scincidae. There are over 1,500 different species of skink. Skinks
are different from other lizards. ... Some have no legs at all; these move more like snakes han lizards

Skink, (family Scincidae), any of about 1,275 species of lizards, mostly secretive ground dwellers or
burrowers, that are represented throughout most of the world but are especially diverse in Southeast
Asia and its associated islands, the deserts of Australia, and the temperate regions of North America.

Generally skinks are no longer than 8 inches. Most skink species have short legs that are well-formed and
a few have no legs at all. They often look like a snake crawling about. ... Skinks have dark-colored bodies
with a colored stripe or stripes running the length of their body.
TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Superfamily:Scincoidea

Family: Scincidae

Gray, 18251) The Egg – Stage 1 –

LIFE CYCLE

1) The Egg – Stage 1 –

The pattern in which adult lizards lay eggs vary from one species to another. While
some lizard species like Anoles lay one egg in one clutch, the other species like
skinks lay clutches of two eggs. The clutch size of eggs refers to the total number
of eggs laid in one attempt. In appearance, the lizard eggs are leathery-shelled
and porous, which means the eggs can stretch by absorbing the moisture. Some
female lizards even bury their eggs in order to protect them from predators.

2) The Juvenile – Stage 2 –

In this stage, the young lizard is left to survive on its own. Parental supervision by
adult lizards is very less during this stage. The young lizards develop and grow into
the size of an adult after some time.
3) The Adult – Stage 3 –

When the lizard enters the adult stage, it is sexually mature and ready to mate.
Mating in lizards depends on the season, for example the frilled lizard begins
mating during the wet season. The male lizards attract female lizards by expanding
their frills. After fertilization the female lizard is capable of laying 8 to 23 eggs,
depending upon the species. Green iguanas usually mate during the winter
season. A female green iguana can lay a clutch of 20 to 71 eggs.

DISCRIPTION

The skink skull is covered by substantial bony scales, usually matching up in shape
and size, while overlapping.[5] Other genera, such as Neoseps, have reduced limbs
and fewer than five toes (digits) on each foot. In such species, their locomotion
resembles that of snakes more than that of lizards with well-developed limbs. As a
general rule, the longer the digits, the more arboreal the species is likely to be. A
biological ratio can determine the ecological niche of a given skink species. The
Scincidae ecological niche index is a ratio based on anterior foot length at the
junction of the ulna/radius-carpal bones to the longest digit divided by the snout-
to-vent length.[6]

Most species of skinks have long, tapering tails they can shed if predators grab
onto them. Such species generally can regenerate the lost part of a tail, though
imperfectly. A lost tail can grow back within around three to four months.[7]
Species with stumpy tails have no special regenerative abilities.

BEHAVIOUR

A trait apparent in many species of skink is digging and burrowing. Many spend
their time underground where they are mostly safe from predators, sometimes
even digging out tunnels for easy navigation. They also use their tongues to sniff
the air and track their prey. When they encounter their prey, they chase it down
until they corner it or manage to land a bite and then swallow it whole. They can
be voracious hunters.
EVOLUTION

Skinks are lizards, but some species have lost their limbs over eons of evolution,
giving them a snakelike look. ... Now, the researchers behind the racetrack write in
Proceedings of the Royal Society B in a paper published Wednesday that skinks
with limbs move faster and burrow better than their limbless compatriots

TYPES OF SKINKS

common garden skink

Lampropholis guichenoti can grow to a maximum of 14 cm, but rarely exceeds 9

cm. According to statistics, the average common garden skink lives for 2–3 years.
The garden skink usually has a browny black colour and sometimes may appear a
dark shade of red when bathing in the sun. The lighter their colour the more
energetic they are. They have small sharp teeth which easily slice through smaller
prey. Even wild individuals are very docile, and rarely bite humans when touched
or picked up.

Western skink

The western skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus) is a species of small, smooth-scaled

lizard with relatively small limbs. It measures about 100 to 210 mm (about 4 to
8.25 inches) in total length (body + tail). It is one of seven species of lizards in
Canada. They spend much of their day basking in the sun. Their diet ranges widely,
including spiders and beetles. Western skinks will bite if grasped and will flee if
they feel threatened.
Rainbow skink

No skink in the world is venomous, so being bitten or stung by one is not a

problem. ... As with many lizards, when a skink is attacked, its tail will break off
and continues to wiggle, distracting a would-be predator. Some skinks may be
poisonous to eat.

Rainbow Skinks are omnivores so that means they are like us, they eat both plants
and animals. Rainbow Skinks eat larger insects including Crickets, Snails, Meal
Worms, Earth Worms, Flowers, Caterpillars, Beetles, Spiders, Grasshoppers, small
Lizards and Fruit.
Plestiodon japonicus

Plestiodon is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae (skinks). The genus contains
many species formerly classified under the genus Eumeces, except those now
placed in Mesoscincus. They are secretive, agile animals with a cylindrical body
covered with smooth, shiny scales. They are distributed from East Asia to
throughout North America from southern Canada south to Mexico, including
oceanic islands such as Bermuda.
CONSERVATION

Skinks look like lizards of the family Lacertidae (sometimes called true lizards), but
most species of skinks have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. Several
genera (e.g., Typhlosaurus) have no limbs at all. This is not true for all skinks,
however, as some species such as the red eyed crocodile skink have a head that is
very distinguished from the body. These lizards also have legs that are relatively
proportional to their body size.