| Species | Eumeces skiltonianus (Baird & Girard 1852) |
| Family | Scincidae (Skinks) |
| Status | none |
| State Rank | S5 |
| Global Rank | G5 |
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This is a small, slim, striped lizard with shiny scales, short legs and a long bright blue tail. The bright blue tail fades with age to dull blue, gray or brownish gray. Adults are 5.4 – 8.6 cm snout-vent length (2-2 4/5 in.) with a tail that is 1.5 to 2 times the body length. The mid-dorsal stripe is brown and bordered on each side by alternating dark (brown or black) and light (cream, beige or gray) stripes. The underside is light without markings. The tail is easily shed. Males develop a reddish tinge on the sides of the head and chin during the breeding season. Hatchlings and juveniles are similar to adults but the coloration is more intense and the tail is always blue. See Photos Page.
The Western Skink is the only lizard in Washington with a bright blue tail, shiny scales and longitudinal stripes. See Key Features Page.
The phenology of this species is poorly known in Washington. Activity starts in late March to early April depending on location and weather conditions. Similar to our other lizard species, activity probably continues into October. The timing of breeding and egg laying have not been described for Washington. In Utah, mating occurs in May or June, eggs are laid in July and hatch in August. In Idaho, hatchlings also appear in August.
This is primarily a species of eastern Washington, occurring in the East Cascades, Okanogan, Columbia Basin, Northeast Corner and Blue Mountain ecoregions. A few locations have also been documented in southern Skamania County (West Cascades Ecoregion). See Distribution Map.
For information on the complete range of this species, see NatureServe Explorer.
Typical habitats are dry open forests, shrub-steppe and grassland. On the margins of their Washington range, they occur in openings within more heavily forested habitat. They often occur near water such as creeks or ponds, but also occur in dry habitats far from water.
Western Skinks are active during the day but are alert, secretive and rarely seen in the open. Most are found by turning rocks and woody debris. They are quick and agile; it is not uncommon to see only a flash of blue as they escape into woody debris or rocks. In areas without woody debris, searching under shale-like rocks at the base of basalt outcrops can be particularly productive, especially if the rocks are in contact with the ground. Even during intensive searching, it is possible to miss this species due to their secretive nature. Locals usually know this species is present because of the eye-catching color of the bright blue tail.
Occurrences are wide-spread throughout the range and no declines have been reported. The lack of recent observations from some areas is likely due to a lack of survey effort and interest, as well as their secretive nature.
Recent observations and observations from areas not indicated on the map can be submitted to the WDFW herp database by contacting Lori Salzer by E-mail salzeljs@dfw.wa.gov.
None
None at this time.
Nussbaum et al. (1983), St. Johns (2002), Stebbins (1985, 2003)
Web sites: Idaho Digital Atlas http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/bio/reptile/main/repfram.htm (15 June 05)
Hallock, L.A. and McAllister, K.R. 2005. Western Skink. Washington Herp Atlas. http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/
Last updated: December 2005