Skink!

If you know anything about me you know I like Science.  Heck, I taught it to 8th graders for four years.  I absolutely LOVED sharing Science and it was so rewarding to be able to change views and open eyes to how fun Science could be.  Yes, some things are as boring as a box of rocks....literally.  I am talking about the rock cycle...you know, igneous rock and sedimentary rock and metamorphic.  Blah, blah, blah.  It does get fun.  You just gotta be around someone who loves it and they'll show you.

So, to my original reason for this blog.  In case you didn't read the title carefully, it does not say sTink, it says sKink.  A skink is a type of lizard.  More than likely you have ALL seen these and called them Salamanders or something else.  They are a large group of lizards and very abundant.

I have heard stories of lizards in our basement at work.  Well, I heard a scream on Monday morning and my co-worker ran from her desk.  I quickly ran over there to keep anyone from killing the poor thing.  Apparently my main boss (I have 7!) believes in the "Stomp and Toss" method.  Oh no, not this chickee.  As long as I am there we will have a "Catch and Release" program.  I caught the little guy and he/she was a juvenile.  Just under 3 or so inches.  I released the skink in the mall field.  I have decided if I have to I will hold on to them until I leave and take them farther away.

When I came home for lunch I grabbed my Audubon Society Reptile and Amphibian Identification Book and identified it as a Great Plains Skink.  It was a little difficult because I could not just look at pictures as the juveniles can differ much from the adults, as in this case.  After some reading and studying up I found that this little guy who is black with white spots around the mouth and a blue tail is the infant of a larger female skink that is mostly tan.  Completely different so it is amazing.  The tail wasn't real bright blue so he/she was VERY young, but in one of the pictures below you can see that it is in fact blue.

This is what an adult might look like.  This picture is actually of a Great Plains Skink in Russell County.

I keep my eyes (and ears LOL) open all day long!  I hope to rescue the infants, even the mom if she comes out.  According to the Audubon book there could possibly be 7-20 eggs!  Holy Crappoly.

Lizard Loving Tara will save them.  When there has been nothing to give reason that these creatures will harm you why do we have the right to exterminate them?