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Five-lined Skinks Mating

I spotted these two Five-lined Skinks mating near one of my storage buildings (Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas). I believe this is my first time photographing a mating pair of Skinks or Lizards.

Notice that the male has a tick near the front leg.

Mating Five-lined Skinks
Mating Five-lined Skinks

Gear Used:

  • Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • Lens: Canon EF100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Technical:

  • Location: Arkansas
  • Date and Time Taken: May 7, 2015 (04:58 P. M.)
  • Exposure Mode: AV
  • Aperture: f8
  • Shutter speed: 1/800
  • ISO: 640
  • White Balance: Auto
  • Metering Mode: Evaluative
  • Back-button Focus
  • Exposure Compensation: 0
  • Focal Length: 400 mm
2022-12-24T04:04:24-06:00July 14, 2022|Categories: Skinks|Tags: , |Comments Off on Five-lined Skinks Mating
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Broad-headed Skink

This Broad-headed Skink was on a large cottonwood tree that was dead and near the auto tour road. This was at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. During the breeding season, they develop orangish, engorged cheeks (thus broad-headed skink) like this one seems to have.

Broad-headed Skink
Broad-headed Skink

How I Got The Shot: Broad-headed Skink

I always stop at this log because it always has several Skinks on it during Spring and Summer. The log is located on the edge of Goss Field next to the road.

I had my camera and lens resting on a bean bag draped over the open window of my pickup.

Gear Used:

  • Camera: Canon EOS R5                            
  • Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II 

Technical:

  • Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
  • Date and Time Taken: May 23, 2021 (10:10 A. M.)
  • Aperture: f8
  • Shutter speed: 1/800
  • ISO: 1250
  • White Balance: Kelvin 6100
  • Exposure Mode: Manual
  • Metering Mode: Evaluative
  • Back-button Focus
  • Continuous Auto Focus
  • Exposure Compensation: 0
  • Focal Length: 400 mm
  • Processed With Luminar

Related Posts:

  1. Southern Coal Skinks Mating
  2. Skink In Early Spring Here In Arkansas
  3. Juvenile Five-lined [Read More…]
2023-01-25T02:11:33-06:00May 31, 2021|Categories: Skinks|Tags: , , |Comments Off on Broad-headed Skink
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Skink In Early Spring Here In Arkansas

I think this is a Five-lined Skink I came across here in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. It could be an adult Five-lined Skink that has lost its three dorsal stripes, but I’m still guessing that it’s the Southern Coal Skink. If I’m wrong, please correct me by leaving a comment below.

Southern Coal Skink Top View
Five-lined Skink Top View
Southern Coal Skink Side View
Five-lined Skink Side View

How I Got The Shot – Skink In Early Spring Here In Arkansas

I was hiking with a Fujifilm X-T3 camera with a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro. This rig has a Black rapid camera strap attached to it.

The Skink was on a log, and I was able to get close for these photos while hand-holding this camera and lens.

Camera Settings For First Photo

  • AV Mode
  • Back-button focus
  • Aperture f5.6
  • ISO 1600
  • Shutter speed – 1/850 sec.
  • Auto White Balance
  • Single Point, Continuous Auto Focus
  • Multi Metering
  • Focal Length – 400 mm

Camera Settings For Second Photo

  • AV Mode
  • Back-button focus
  • Aperture f5.6
  • ISO 1600
  • Shutter speed – 1/680 sec.
  • Auto White Balance
  • Single Point, Continuous Auto Focus
  • Multi Metering
  • Focal Length – 400 mm

Here are a couple of photos [Read More…]

2022-07-09T05:31:57-05:00April 9, 2020|Categories: Skinks|Tags: , |Comments Off on Skink In Early Spring Here In Arkansas
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Juvenile Five-lined Skink On Log

I spotted this juvenile Five-lined Skink on this log while I was doing a photo walk near my place in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. The bright blue tail makes it easy to spot. After I took this photo the skink went into a crack in the log and disappeared from view.

Juvenile Five lined Skink On Log
Juvenile Five lined Skink On Log

I posted a photo back on August 13th of this year of a Juvenile Five-lined Skink I photographed on my deck: Juvenile Five-lined Skink

How I Got The Shot – Juvenile Five-lined Skink On Log

There is a pile of old logs that I like checking for Prairie Lizards when I go on a photo walk. Most days I will spot Prairie Lizards on these logs but this time I saw this Skink. The Skink didn’t stay in the open that long and I knew it wasn’t going to so I was fast with the shot.

I was standing and shooting down at this Five-lined Skink. I would rather have photographed it from a lower position which I tried to do. When I moved to get low this Skink disappeared in a crack in the log.

I was hand holding a Fujifilm X-T3 Camera with a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens attached with a [Read More…]

2019-09-05T03:54:42-05:00September 13, 2019|Categories: Skinks|0 Comments
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Juvenile Five-lined Skink

This juvenile Five-lined Skink is hanging around my cabin near the Ouachita National Forest here in Arkansas. These Skinks are common here in my area. I have tried to photograph this juvenile for several weeks. They are not like the Prairie Lizards or Green Anloes that I also have in the area. I can get close to these Lizards but not the Skinks.

The bright blue tail makes it easy to spot one but as soon as it sees you it will run under something to hide.

Juvenile Five-lined Skink
Juvenile Five-lined Skink

This being a Five-lined Skink is really just a guess. The Herps of Arkansas website states:

This species looks very similar–if not identical–to other skink species found in Arkansas and examination of scales may be required to confirm identification. The Five-lined Skink has 2 postmental scales, 2 postlabial scales, and 7 upper labial scales (of which the 5th from the snout is in contact with the eye orbit). A postnasal scale is present.

As young, this species may be called a Blue-tailed Skink (a term shared amongst several skink species). It is also known as a Red-headed Skink.

How I Got The Shot – Juvenile Five-lined Skink

I was sitting on a [Read More…]

2019-08-13T10:32:49-05:00August 13, 2019|Categories: Skinks|0 Comments
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