Skinks of the United States
A representative skink as a long cylindrical body and tail covered with smooth sleek scales containing bony plates (osteoderms). Terrestrial skinks have small legs and this adapted for burrowing have tiny legs or none at all. A clear window in the lower eyelid of burroowing forms enables the animal to see when the eyelid is closed to keep out dirt. Fracture planes in the tails of many species allow the tail to break off easily when grasped by a predator. In such cases usually the tail is vividly colored to draw the attack of teh predator away from the vulnerable body.
Skinks are diurnal. Most are insect easter, but a few giant species are herbivorous. All species have thick oval tongues with a shallow notch at the tip. Most will nip the hand that catches then, and alrge species can inflict a painful bite. All North American species are egg layers and females may attend the eggs during incubation
There are 15 species of Scincidae in the U.S.
Scattered populations in western New York through the Appalachians to the Gulf Coast, Louisiana, and Missouri west to central Kansas,,Oklahona, and Texas.
Found from the coastal plain of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida including the Keys.
Found from southern New England to northern Florida, west to eastern Texas, north to Kansas, Wisconsin, and southern Ontario.
Found from Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges of central and southern California, also scattered populations in the mountains of eastern California, southern Nevada, cebtral Arizona, and northern Baja Califronia.
Found from southern Maryland and Virginia, south through Florida and the Keys, west to Louisiana, and northeast to Kentucky.
Found from southeastern Pennsylvania to central Florida, along the Gulf Coast to eastern Texas, north to Kansas and Illinois..
Found from southwestern South Dakota through southeastern Wyoming, south to Arizona and New Mexico with scattered populations in western Texas and Mexico..
Found from southeastern Wyoming, southern Nebraska, and extreme southwestern Iowa through the Great Plains to central Arizona, Mexico and west-central Texas..
Found from southern Manitoba south through eastern North Dakota, Minnesota, and western Wisconsin south to coastal Texas.
Found from nothern Arizona and southern Nevada to southern British Columbia, south along the coast through California into the Baja peninsula..
Found from central and southern Texas south into Mexico north to south-central Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico.
Found in central Florida (Highland, Lake and Polk Counties) .
Found from New Jersey south through Florida, west to central Texas, north to Nebraska and Missouri.
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