An "Eggcellent" Discovery - Finding Five-Lined Skink Eggs

Dear Henry,

Fish is really good at I SPY and his latest find was really cool.

While weeding the flowerbed next to the mailbox, he had moved one of the boundary stones and discovered a nest of Five-Lined Skink eggs.

We have a few of these little lizards living around our house.  They are great bug catchers and are rather cute.

Like the wren experience, finding the skink nest changed many of the preconceptions I had about lizards.

For example. skinks tend to their eggs.

I had always thought that all reptiles laid eggs and then abandoned them.  They don't - or at least skinks don't - mom was sitting with her eggs when Fish moved the edging stone.

It is considered to be one of the most common lizards in the US, although you probably won't find it in the West because it loves humidity.  In Arkansas, they are everywhere, although I am reading reports that they are threatened in Connecticut.

They aren't very big, about 5 inches with the tail and can live about six years.

I am not sure how long these eggs have until they hatch - the development of the eggs is temperature related and can take anywhere from 24 to 55 days. I wonder how long it will take the babies to emerge after that.

Stay tuned for updates.

xoxo a.d.


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