Mole Skink - The Bluetail Mole Skink

The Bluetail Mole Skink

The Bluetail Mole Skink is a small, shiny, cylindrical lizard of a brownish color. Juveniles usually have a blue tail which makes up slightly more than half of the animal's length. Regenerated tails and the tails of older individuals are typically pinkish. The legs are somewhat reduced in size and are used only during surface locomotion, not when the animal "swims" through the sand (Christman 1992). During the breeding season, males develop a colorful orange pattern on their sides.

The Bluetail Mole Skink grows to 9 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches). It shares habitat with the Sand Skink, which is also endangered, but does not compete with it: whereas the Sand Skink feeds underground, the Bluetail Mole Skink hunts on the surface. Like other mole skinks, it feeds primarily on cockroaches, spiders, and crickets. It is found in central Florida.

The Bluetail Mole Skink is an endangered species.