Reptiles
Prairie Skink
Plestiodon septentrionalis · also called northern prairie skink
Across a patch of sandy tallgrass prairie, a juvenile prairie skink flashes a vivid blue tail as it darts for cover, a colour it will lose entirely long before it settles into the plainer, more secretive life of an adult.
Overview
The prairie skink, Plestiodon septentrionalis, is a small, burrowing lizard native to tallgrass and sand prairie habitat across the north-central United States and adjacent Canada. Its daytime activity and the vivid blue tail of its juveniles make it a distinctive, if increasingly habitat-limited, member of the skink family.
A lizard tied to a shrinking landscape
As native tallgrass prairie continues to give way to farmland across much of its range, the prairie skink’s fortunes are increasingly tied to how much of that specific sandy, undisturbed habitat still remains for it to burrow through.
Status
Least Concern — present across suitable prairie habitat, though experiencing regional declines linked to agricultural land conversion.
Prairie Skink: common questions
Why does a young prairie skink have a blue tail?
A young prairie skink displays a strikingly bright blue tail, a colouration that likely helps direct a predator's attack toward the expendable tail rather than the body, and the colour fades considerably as the lizard matures into a plainer, less conspicuous adult.
Is the prairie skink active during the day or at night?
The prairie skink is active during daylight hours, burrowing through loose, sandy prairie soil in search of food and shelter, unlike some other small reptile species that restrict activity to nighttime to avoid heat or predators.
Why has the prairie skink declined in parts of its range?
Prairie skink populations have experienced regional declines linked to the widespread conversion of native tallgrass and sand prairie habitat to agricultural land, a pressure that has reduced the amount of suitable sandy, undisturbed soil the species depends on for burrowing and foraging.
Where does the prairie skink live?
The prairie skink is native to tallgrass and sand prairie habitat across parts of the north-central United States and adjacent southern Canada, generally favouring loose, sandy soil that supports its burrowing lifestyle.