Great
Plains Skink
Eumeces obsoletus
Body length: 3 1/2 - 5 1/2"
Diet: Insects, spiders, mollusks, and other lizards
Great Plains skinks are easily recognized by their shiny scales and alert, agile
appearance. They prefer moist areas, and occur (but are not common) at Tonto National
Monument in shaded areas with tall trees, such as in Cave Creek Canyon along the
Upper Cliff Dwelling trail.
This species of skink lays up to 12 eggs in late spring. During the one-to-two
month incubation period, the females guard their eggs, a somewhat uncommon behavior
for a reptile. Young skinks are jet black at hatching, with a bright blue tail.
This color fades as they age, and adults are uniformly a less vivid color, usually
greenish-brown to gray.
The skink family is very large and widespread - more than 1,000 known species
occur. Skinks are found on all continents except Antarctica.
NPS
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Updated
May 10, 2005