Not too many years back, I received a phone call from an old pal, Millard Tope. “Jim!” he exclaimed, “You’ve got to come over and see this lizard … it’s got the bluest tail I’ve ever seen!”
Millard lives only a hop, skip, and a jump from me in Cascade Estates, so I grabbed up my camera and hustled over to his home. “It’s over here, under this piece of plywood,” he said, pointing toward the back of his house. Lifting the plywood so we could both see his prize more clearly, he said, “Now, what is it?”
One look is all you need to recognize a juvenile Western Skink. Its four-inch body is covered with shiny glass-like scales, and the tail is the bluest blue you’ll ever see. If you can believe it, it’s brighter blue than even a male Mountain Bluebird – and that’s really blue!
From head to the beginning of the blue tail, the skink’s body has white stripes between broader dark brown to almost black body. If you get down and look it in the eye, you will see bright orange scales on the upper and lower lips. Yep, this is one very handsome lizard. Moreover, there is a great survival strategy behind that blazing blue tail.
Skinks, unlike some lizards, move almost like a snake. It’s as though they’re not quite sure what they should do with those snazzy-looking legs, so to propel themselves faster, they wriggle their bodies from side to side as they run.
When a skink is trying to escape from a kestrel (a small falcon that dines on lizards, mice and insects), they can run like blue-bloody-blazes in that snake-like wriggle.
What does the kestrel see first? You guessed it, that bright blue tail flailing along behind as the skink scampers through the sand and sage.
The kestrel swoops down, grasps the blue tail and, voila! The tail breaks clean off the lizard’s back end! Because nerves in the tail have short-circuited, it starts thrashing when it leaves the skink’s body and the kestrel is conned into believing it has the whole lizard-but ends up with just the blue tail.
The blood supply to the missing tail is immediately shut down and the young skink slithers off to live another day. In time, it will grow another tail, but it won’t be as long as the original. However, it too will break off if the need arises. There appears to be a certain amount of learning in losing one’s tail; researchers in California found that once a young skink has had a close encounter of the near-fatal kind it seems to be more cautious.
Skinks, like all lizards, are predators. They wait in ambush for spiders, beetles and other invertebrates to wander close enough for the skink to dash out and grasp them in their powerful jaws.
If you pick up a skink, incidentally, you may have a first-hand experience on how strong their jaws are. (Not to worry, there is only one venomous lizard in the US: The Gila Monster of the Southwest.)
If a baby skink – or other small lizard – happens to come by when another skink is hungry, the larger one may turn cannibal and gobble up the little one, blue tail and all.
There are several species of skinks throughout the world but only two can grow a bright blue tail; our Western Skink, and Gilbert’s Skink found in California, Nevada and Arizona.
Some female members of the skink family are livebearers, but the western U.S. group are all egg-layers. If you’re ever fortunate enough to discover a skink’s nest, you’ll note how much the eggs resemble Tic-Tacs, which many kids fondly know as “lizard eggs.”
Unlike other lizards and snakes, skinks don’t seem to require direct sunlight to stay at operating temperature and will often hide under rocks, old pieces of plywood, in house foundations and other cool out-of-the-way places waiting for prey.
If you want to share your backyard with skinks, lay some old pieces of flat wood around, and they will find it suitable habitat for safety, food and shelter. Be warned, it is illegal to keep them as “pets,” and besides, they’ll be happier in the wild.
This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2008.
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Naw, I think the coolest reptile in Central Oregon is the Rubber Boa. Pick one up, let it wrap around your wrist, and it will stay there for an entire days hike. Lizards, not particulary afable. Not that they are too agressive, but like so many college day girlfriends, pretty aloof after the first encounter.
I saw my first blue tailed skink about two weeks ago in Bend, at my daughters house. I was moving some wood that had laid around for some time and to my surprise as I moved the wood I saw a very, very bright blue tail attached to a dull colored body. The skink didn’t scamper off and let me get a good look at it. I replaced the wood so that the skink would have it’s living and hiding space. It is a beautiful reptile.
im in fl and found one in my back yard today.. idt was the most prettiest lizard i ever seen…
I am 7 and today I saw my first ever skink in my mom’s green house, we have some wood piled outside and he must live there. He ran in and out at ease so I hope I see him again.
I just saw what I believe to be a “Blue Tailed Skink” this is the first one I have ever seen. I live in Post Falls,Idaho and was wondering if they are Native to the area? I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 30 years and have never seen anything as unique as this.
My husband and I saw our first skink yesterday, going for shelter under a bush. When it saw us it froze so, we had a good look at it. We figured it had legs, therefore it was a lizard, not a snake. We were speechless, having no idea lizards in California could be so …blue… on one end and “normal colored” on the other. When I approached to within four feet, it ran away.
I saw my first skink today under some rocks. I live in Crooked River Ranch OR. Boy was it a beauty.
I’m pretty sure we have these in Missouri! I see some every week at work! I would like to catch one!
I loved the enthusiastic tone of your article! However, you mistated the prevalence of the blue tails–the skinks on the east coast, plestiodon fasciatus, also have blue tails as juveniles.
We have some in our yard and yes they are very fast. I’m concerned that the new cats we rescued might catch them, but as they cannot be contained as pets…. I wish them luck!
I live in upper Michigan and saw one today along the shores of the bay of green bay, very small with a very bright blue tail
We had the awesome pleasure of sharing a picnic– briefly– with what we now are confirming was a western blue skink– our first time seeing one! What’s more we saw him in our knapsack as we went to reach in for some popcorn! Beautiful lizard, bright blue tail, almost wanted to keep him.
Saw my first one today. Thought they didn’t come this far north, Charlotte, NC. Scared me at first but was able to get a good look. Lo and behold a few hrs later another came slithering onto the patio in the backyard. I guess they have arrived in NC.
I am loving the enthusiasm of all these “just saw my first one” comments, I’ll try to have that childlike glee the next time I see one. They definitely ARE beautiful! I was just teaching my kids about their tails and came across this article while showing them pictures.
Living in Arkansas, I’ve seen them all my life and vividly recall the time I tried to catch one as a child. The part of the article stating their jaw strength couldn’t be more accurate.. It clamped down SO hard on the skin between my thumb and index finger, and would not let go. I had to run to my father who, after a good bit of effort, finally pried it off and set it free. So heed the author’s warning, folks, it’s true. These guys are best appreciated from a distance!!
I just saw one in Gold Beach, OR only 5 minutes ago. It started flopping around pretending to be sick or injured, but I haven’t read anywhere that they are known to do that. Also, he did not dislodge his tail.
Just saw my 1st one today!
I’m new to the Clearwater River valley between Lewiston & Orofino, Idaho. I “googled” the skink’s prominent features to identify it.
The sighting was fast & fleeting, but what a marvel. The tail was as blue as the Colorado skies I had grown used to.
Had one in my dining room this afternoon; it didn’t look too well. It wasn’t moving much (maybe because my cat was nose-to-nose with it), even when I scooped it up with a pancake turner and took it outside. Its blue tail was missing, and it looked like a fairly large adult (about 5″ to the stub of where its tail used to be). As soon as I lowered it to the lawn, the carpenter ants thought dinner had arrived, so I transferred it to some flower pots and poured a little bit of water on it.
PS: Location is Eastern Washington, Stevens County.
We have them here in Georgia. I have 2 of them today while we have been working on our deck. They are so pretty, lol.
Just saw one for the first time in our yard in Redding CA. Lived here 40+ years. Have tons of various lizards (and rattlesnakes, a bear after the bird feeders, and a mountain lion after the dog), but this skink is a first. My little dog found it. Sure glad it didn’t bite her. Its tail was beautiful! Judy 4/30/17
I am in my 80’s and saw my first one this week. Had no idea what it was! I grew up on a farm but had never heard of a skink. It was in a old tree where it had rotted in the center. Live in Indiana and this is a first for me!
Just found one in Gaston County, NC with a nest of eggs. Moved a brick in the grass and there she was. Showed my boyfriend, got a picture and carefully put the brick back over the area. We had never seen one with eggs before and were so excited.
Saw one for first time on the old vantage hiway. 2 weeks ago. Washington state. The blue is really beautiful NEON BLuE.
just seen one for the first time in salida california…thought it was a snake. i too had to google it. it was gone in seconds. dont know where it came from or where it end up but the tail was awsome. i dont have a place where it might want to live so i am sure it was passing by. i have bark near where i seen it.
saw my 1st at the arboretum in jacksonville, fl today. scampered off when we sat nearby but crawled back out to his sunny spot after a minute or 2. i wonder how he gets on with the others. neato site, btw.
I was just honored to witness a blue tailed skink. Had to run in the house and google it. Amazing little critter, and that bright bright blue tail. Beautiful. I live in Roseburg Oregon.
My cat had one cornered in house. It must have slipped in under front door. I live just south of Redding, CA. I had no idea that such a creature existed!
I, too, just saw one of these for the first time. It was in my garden compost container when I took off the lid. Fortunately, I had my smart phone on me and was able to snap a few pics. The skink reminded me of a garter snake on the front end, with an amazingly neon blue tail. Wish I could post the photo…
Just saw 1 here in Colorado..it came out of my garden.
I just saw one when my cat saw it first. However it was on a leash so no harm done to the skink. His tail was long and a very bright blue. Guess that makes him an adolescent. He darted into the recesses of the wall so hope to see more soon! I’m in Carmel Valley, CA.
Forgot to mention he jumped out at my cat. He was fast and the cat ran!!
I live in Louisiana and just seen my first skink it looked like a lizard but had the tail of a snake, and he is in my apartment and I can’t get it out 😱
So Mr.Skink lives here in a tree with an opening at
the bottom. I see him about four times a week here
in Georgia. He is very brown and slippery looking, scared the be Jesus out of me, when I saw two at once the first time. They look like snakes with legs!
I never encountered even one growing up in California ! Now, I am obsessed with the darn things!