One of my favorite signs of warmer weather is seeing skinks emerge to bask in the sun. During a visit to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, I found this juvenile Five-lined Skink soaking up the morning warmth on a log beside the auto tour road.
Juvenile Five-lined Skink Basking on a Sunny Log
I have been seeing more skinks out on logs as the weather has warmed. Along the west side of Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, several large fallen logs sit next to the auto tour road. They make excellent basking spots, so I always slow down and watch them carefully as I drive by.
On this visit, my patience paid off. I spotted what I believe was a juvenile Five-lined Skink resting in the sunshine. The bright blue tail immediately caught my attention, making it much easier to identify this young reptile.
That vivid blue tail is one of the best-known features of juvenile Five-lined Skinks. If a predator attacks, the skink can shed its tail, giving it a chance to escape while the predator is distracted. This remarkable adaptation is one reason these small lizards are so fascinating to observe.
Finding Skinks Along the Refuge Auto Tour Road
The fallen logs beside the refuge road provide exactly what these skinks need. They offer sunny places to warm up while staying close to cover if danger appears.
Five-lined Skinks play an important role in the local ecosystem. They feed on insects and other small invertebrates while also serving as prey for snakes, birds, and other wildlife. Watching them move across logs and disappear into the surrounding vegetation is always a reminder of how much activity takes place in even the smallest corners of the refuge.
If you enjoy seeing these colorful young reptiles, you might also like my photograph of the Juvenile Five-lined Skink On Log, which captures another close encounter with this species.
Photographing an Elusive Young Skink
This skink gave me just enough time to capture a close photograph from the comfort of my pickup truck before disappearing into cover. Moments like these rarely last long, so staying alert and moving slowly makes all the difference.
Every visit to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge offers something unexpected. Finding this young skink basking in the sun was another reminder that some of the most memorable wildlife encounters come from paying attention to the small creatures that many people drive right past.