A few days ago, I was thrilled to see and photograph this Common Five-lined Skink as it basked in the sunlight on a fallen tree next to the auto tour road.
Common Five-lined Skink on a fallen tree – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1000, ISO 800, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 371mm, natural light
I’ve been looking for these skinks since spring and all through the summer. This was my first opportunity with one of the skinks completely out in the open this year.
The cobalt-blue tail of this reptile certainly caught my eye!
Common Five-lined Skinks don’t seem all that common at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma this year. Part of the reason is that the edges of the road are so grown up with Johnson Grass, which makes the skinks hard to see.
Once upon a time, in my garden in Virginia, my sons and I were able to watch several baby Common Five-lined Skinks hatch from their eggs.
It was a terrific learning experience for us all. The boys and I caught flies for the young skinks, and once we knew they were eating, we released them into the garden.
Common Five-lined Skinks will always bring back wonderful memories for me.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Common Five-lined Skink photos plus facts and information about this species.
Cool pic and a great story. Thanks Mia.