5 Lined Skink

One of the best parts of gardening without conventional pesticides is the wide variety of animal life (vertebrate and invertebrate) that you start to see. A couple days ago we found a five-lined skink running around not far from our garden.

The five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) is probably the most common lizard that you will find on the east coast. The skink can be identified by the five golden stripes running down its body and, on young skinks, its bright blue tail. Like many lizards, the skink has the ability to shed its tail as a defense mechanism, as evidenced in the one we found. It will detach its tail if caught by its tail or as a distraction for its predators, as the tail typically continues to twitch after it is shed.

Skinks feed on insects and can be inadvertent targets of pesticide use, both directly and indirectly through the food chain. They can't be considered a control of any one pest, but they are definitely welcomed guests to our garden for their feeding habits and just as a general curiosity.

Happy gardening!