The Western skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus) is a small, smooth-scaled lizard with relatively small limbs. It is one of seven species of lizards in Canada. These lizards spend much of their day basking in the sun and will bite if grasped and will flee if they feel threatened.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withWestern skinks are small, smooth-scaled lizards with relatively small limbs. Adults have a broad brown stripe down their backs, edged with black and bordered on each side by a conspicuous whitish to beige dorsolateral stripe that begins on the nose and extends over the eye and back alongside the body onto the tail. A second pale stripe, starting on the upper jaw, occurs low on each side and is separated from the first by a broad dark brown or black band originating on the side of the head; it usually extends well out onto the tail, though this band can be disrupted if the tail is lost and regrown. Juvenile skink's tails are bright blue, turning to grey in adulthood. In the breeding season reddish or orange color appears on the side of the head and chin, and occasionally on the sides, tip, and underside of the tail. Young skinks' colorations are more vivid than those of adults.
Western skinks can be found from southern British Columbia, Canada, to the tip of the Baja California Peninsula, and throughout most of the Great Basin to extreme Northern Arizona; central Utah to the Pacific Coast. These little creatures are found in a variety of habitats and prefer open areas within habitats in which they occur. Heavy brush and densely forested areas are generally avoided. Western skinks seem to prefer a somewhat moist environment, although they can also be found on dry hillsides. They frequent grassland, broken chaparral, pinon-juniper, and juniper-sage woodland, and open pine-oak and pine forests.
Western skinks are common but quite secretive reptiles. They are diurnal and spend much of their day basking in the sun. They are active during the warm seasons and hibernate in communal dens during the winter. During summer most activity is concentrated in the morning and late afternoon. Where summer temperatures are not extreme, activity extends throughout the day. Adults usually become inactive by early fall but juveniles extend their period of activity several weeks. Western skinks are very agile lizards that forage actively through leaf litter and dense vegetation, preying upon small invertebrates or various insects. They are good burrowers and sometimes construct burrows several times their own body length. Western skinks will bite if grasped and will flee if they feel threatened. They can also perform autotomy; if seized by a predator their tail is deliberately cast and wriggles violently attracting attention while the lizard may escape. The tail will grow back with time but is often darker in color and misshapen. Western skinks may also play dead, but this behavior is rarely seen.
Western skinks are carnivores (insectivores). They feed on invertebrates including spiders, a variety of insects, and sow bugs. They like to feast on crickets, beetles, moths, grasshoppers, and other arthropods.
The breeding season for Western skinks varies geographically and from year to year depending on local conditions. During this time males turn orange on the underside. Mating most likely occurs in the spring soon after emergence. Females construct nest chambers that are several centimeters deep in loose moist soil, usually located under surface objects, especially flat stones, logs, and sometimes in or near rock outcrops. In these chambers, females lay 2-6 eggs during June and July. The young probably hatch in late summer and become reproductively mature at 2 years of age. However, most individuals probably do not reproduce until they are 3 years old.
Western skinks don't face any major threats at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Western skink total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
