The ground skink is small, smooth, and brown with a dark stripe along its side. The shade of brown varies from reddish or chocolate to light golden brown and often matches the leaf litter where the lizard lives. The belly is either white or yellow. The ground skink also has a transparent disc in the lower eyelid through which it can see even when its eyes are closed. It is the smallest lizard in North Carolina.
Ten Facts about Ground Skink
- They can be 3-5.75 in. (7.5-14.6 cm) long.
- Ground skinks range throughout Georgia and South Carolina and are abundant in all but the wettest habitats.
- They prefer areas with loose soil and abundant leaf litter and are often found beneath logs, boards, and other cover objects.
- Ground skinks prey on tiny insects, spiders, and other invertebrate.
- Female ground skinks lay clutches of several eggs in moist soil or rotten logs during the summer.
- Ground skinks are abundant in most habitats, particularly open woodlands with abundant leaf litter.
- Like other lizard species, ground skinks will lose their tail when seized, distracting predators and allowing the skink to escape. The tail later regrows.
- Predators includes racers (snakes), broad-winged hawks, and several small mammals.
- They can live up to 8 years.
- It has been suggested that female ground skinks can lay more than one clutch in a season.
