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Western Skink

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Eumeces
Species: E. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Squamata (scaled reptiles is the largest recent order of Reptiles including Lizards and Snakes Members of the order are distinguished by Skinks are the most diverse group of Lizards They make the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other The Genus Eumeces Skinks ( family Scincidae comprises four African to Middle-Eastern species skiltonianus
Binomial name
Eumeces skiltonianus
(Baird and Girard, 1852)

The Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus) is a small, smooth-scaled lizard with relatively small limbs, measuring about 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) from snout to vent. Spencer Fullerton Baird ( February 3, 1823 &ndash August 19, 1887) was an American ornithologist and Ichthyologist Charles Frédéric Girard ( March 8, 1822 - January 29, 1895) was a French Biologist specializing on Ichthyology In most biological nomenclature a scale ( Greek lepid, Latin squama) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an Animal Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except A limb (from the Old English lim) is a jointed or Prehensile (as Octopus tentacles or new world Monkey tails Appendage of the A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. It is one of five species of lizards in Canada. Western skinks are very adaptable. They spend much of their day basking in the sun. Their diet ranges widely, including spiders and beetles. Western Skinks will bite if grasped and will flee if they feel threatened.

Taxonomy

Baird and Girard described Skilton's Skink in 1852 and named it in honor of one Dr. Spencer Fullerton Baird ( February 3, 1823 &ndash August 19, 1887) was an American ornithologist and Ichthyologist Charles Frédéric Girard ( March 8, 1822 - January 29, 1895) was a French Biologist specializing on Ichthyology Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Avery J. Skilton, who had sent them specimen of the species. Tanner (1957) identified the subspecies interparietalis and utahensis. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar)

There are several subspecies:

The most common is Skilton's Skink, which occurs throughout the western United States west of the Rocky Mountains and in southern British Columbia, Canada. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

Together with the Gilbert's Skink (E. Gilbert's Skink ( Eumeces gilberti) is a heavy-bodied medium-sized Lizard of the family of Skinks living in the south-western United States. gilberti), the San Lucan Skink (E. The San Lucan Skink ( Eumeces lagunensis) is a Skink (a type of Lizard) native to the Baja California peninsula. lagunensis), and the Four-lined Asiatic Skink (E. quadrilineatus), the Western Skink belongs to the so-called "skiltonianus group". The exact taxonomy within this group is being questioned and may need revision following DNA analysis research. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known

Description

The Western Skink is a secretive and very agile lizard that forages actively through leaf litter and dense vegetation, preying upon small invertebrates. Foraging theory is a branch of Behavioral ecology that studies the foraging behavior of animals in response to the environment in which the animal lives In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate It is a good burrower and sometimes constructs burrows several times its own body length.

Found in a variety of habitats from sea level to at least 2,130 m (7,000 ft), the Western Skink is commonest in early successional stages or open areas within habitats in which it occurs. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Heavy brush and densely forested areas are generally avoided. "Paintbrush" redirects here For other uses see Paintbrush (disambiguation. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria The Western Skink seems to prefer a somewhat moist environment, although it can also be found on dry hillsides. The soil of its nest chambers is invariably moist. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs and/or provide a place to raise their offspring Standing water is apparently not required.

Juvenile Western Skink
Juvenile Western Skink

The Western Skink is brown in color and has four white or beige stripes, two on the back and one on each side. Black, when used as a general term is a color that is a Very dark Black, black, or Black, of low Luminance relative to White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Beige is a pale Yellowish Brown Color. The term originates from beige cloth, a woolen fabric left in its natural color Juveniles have bright blue tails. Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by The tail is the section at the rear end of an Animal 's Body; in general the term refers to a distinct flexible Appendage to the Torso.

Life History

This skink is diurnal during the period of warm-season activity. In Animal behavior, diurnality indicates an Animal that is active during the Daytime and rests during the Night. During summer most activity is concentrated in the morning and late afternoon. Summer is one of the four Temperate Seasons Summer marks the warmest time of year with the longest days Where summer temperatures are not extreme, activity extends throughout the day. Adult skinks usually become inactive by early fall but juveniles extend their period of activity several weeks. Autumn (also known as fall in North American English) is one of the four Temperate Seasons Autumn marks the transition from Summer

The reproductive season for this species varies geographically and from year to year depending on local conditions. Reproduction is the Biological process by which new individual Organisms are produced Mating probably occurs in the spring soon after emergence. Males turn orange on the underside when they are breeding. Females lay 2-6 eggs during June and July in nest chambers constructed in loose, moist soil under rocks, logs, or other cover. In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum. In Geology, rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of Minerals and/or Mineraloids The Earth's outer solid layer the ‘ Lithosphere

Young Western Skinks probably hatch in late summer, and sexual maturity may occur at 2 years of age, but most individuals probably do not reproduce until they are 3 years old. Western Skinks can reach an age of about 5 or 10 years.

References

Selected literature

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