Far from rare but certainly elusive, the Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus) is a beautiful lizard. This species of skink is slender with striking, shiny brown and cream lengthwise stripes, but it is its cobalt blue tail that sets it apart. It is theorized that this bright tail serves as a distracting lure because skinks have the ability to shed their tails, leaving them as a wriggling target when attacked by predators. Like many lizards, the tail will grow back. The tail of the Western Skink is brightest when it is a juvenile, and gradually fades to a powdery blue-gray as the lizard matures. They can grow to a body length of approximately 3 or 4 inches with an even longer tail.

Although skinks are found in many local habitats, they tend to avoid densely forested areas. They are active during the day (diurnal), hunting and feeding on mainly a variety of small insects such as beetles, spiders and worms. They in turn are food to a number of predators, including raccoons, possums, crows, hawks, and other lizards.

Western Skinks typically begin breeding at around 3 years of age, and live approximately nine years. Skinks are oviparous, meaning that they lay eggs rather than have live births. Eggs are laid in May and June in clutches of 2 to 6 eggs, nestled in small burrows dug by the female under rocks. The eggs hatch in late summer. The female skink guards and actively protects the eggs and the hatched babies until they are mature enough to leave the burrow.

While Western Fence Lizards are commonly seen sunning themselves along trails, Western Skinks are shy and good at hiding. But keep your eyes open when hiking along sunny, rocky terrain and you might just be lucky enough to be dazzled by a skink’s awesome neon blue tail!