Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A Blue Tale


This juvie Five Lined Skink squiggled out from under a log that I was moving last weekend.
In a state of Posting Partum depression due to a busy schedule, I snatched his blue butt up and forced him to pose for a few photos.


Only the young skinks have this fantastic blue tail. I think the general thought on the blue is that it distracts a predators attention to the least important end of the skink.

Better to lose a piece of my tail than a piece of my head.


Speaking of a skink's head ... isn't it magnificent?

... and those eyes ... wow!

They're huge.



This guy is just a youngster, but there are plenty of adults around PFHQ.
A huge adult skink is living in my barn and when I open the door, he scurries away from whatever slinky, skinky, sneaky stuff he was up to ... sounding all the while like a much bigger animal.
He makes enough of a scurrying noise that I at first thought it was a rat or an opossum roaming around under the workbench.
Skinks are mostly ground lizards who move in swishy serpentine fashion. That seems to make them a lot noisier than other lizards when they are in motion.

At least, that's true in a cluttered barn.

17 comments:

threecollie said...

Magnificent tale of a tail. Thanks

Florida Native Mom said...

I think skinks are just wannabe snakes.

Mark said...

I still see a few around our house, despite the epic numbers of stray cats that have shown up. I wish they got big enough to defend themselves.

Anonymous said...

Hi FC,

Skinks are really cute. See you have a little boo boo. Is that from that ferocious bad boy Newie??

P

Pablo said...

Looks fake!

Cathy S. said...

He's beautiful! We used to have a skink that lived in our house under the grandfather clock. I haven't seen him in a long time. I wonder what happened to him? I bet the borrowers are using him for a horse.

Deb said...

Skinks seem to be the most ubiquitous lizards...we have even seen them here in the frozen north.

Sayre said...

Lovely head! Unfortunately in my yard, they're playthings for cats. They usually get away, as I see numerous skinks without tails.

Dani said...

I only see these beauties when I leave concrete land. *sigh*

Thunder said...

Cool looking little lizzard!

Aunty Belle said...

Howl!! "Posting partum depression."

Lovely skink--an' a blue tail would distract nearly anything or anybody--admit it.

Hope yore skool year is terrific!

( uh...is y'all empty nesters now?)

Anonymous said...

That's very cool looking skink you have there.

R.Powers said...

3C,
Glad you liked the tailing of it!

NativeMom,
I think you are right on.

Mark,
Stray cats ... ARRRGGHHHH!

Patio,
Very observant.
That booboo is from a full day of nonstop pushmowing.
Actually Newie has gone on a bit of a walkabout in my house. Have not found him yet.


Pablo,
You are confusing the Florida species with the Missouri species.

Cathy S,
Ask the borrowers if they have seen Newie.

Deb,
Isn't if funny how some species range so very far?

Sayre,
The badge of a battered skink!


Dani,
They love compost piles ... if you were to seed yours with a few ...


Dave,
You will have them!

Aunty!
heehee ... I do miss it when life intrudes and affects my postin'!
Empty nest, 'cept for a 102 pounds of Labrador Retriever ... which is kind of like having a toddler again.

Skool is busy but good.

Robin,
They busy too. I watched one lapping up ants one day. He just stood still and as the ants walked by, he nailed them.

Cathy S. said...

OMG, you have a snake loose in your house? I would be in a hotel until it was found.

Word cerification: skerjund. That's me if a snake was loose in my house.

Unknown said...

Looks like he bit you on the thumb?

Dani said...

Newie is on a walkabout?! I'm sure Patience is immune to things like this by now. ;)

R.Powers said...

OH YEAH, a snake loose in the house is a yawner around here.
heehee
Patience Dani? LOL ... someone has been exploring the PF archives!