Overview
The Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis) is a sleek, shiny, fast-moving lizard intimately tied to the native tallgrass prairies of the North American Great Plains. Reaching further north into Canada than almost any other lizard on the continent, this smooth-scaled fossorial reptile is renowned for its bold longitudinal racing stripes, radiant blue-tailed juveniles, and remarkable ability to survive harsh sub-zero prairie winters by burrowing beneath the frost line.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Plestiodon septentrionalis possesses a cylindrical, highly polished body covered in smooth, glossy, overlapping scales that reduce friction when burrowing through dense grass roots and sandy loams. Its dorsal surface is olive-tan to dark brown, highlighted by three bold light-tan stripes flanked by dark brown lateral bands. Juveniles flaunt an incandescent electric-blue tail that distracts predators away from vital organs.
Behavior and Ecology
A secretive ground-dweller, the Prairie Skink navigates beneath dense thatch and fallen prairie litter, rarely climbing into vegetation. When pursued by a hawk or milk snake, it can drop its thrashing tail via caudal autotomy, leaving the twitching blue appendage to distract the attacker while the skink slips underground. Females display rare maternal care, brooding and defending their clutches of 5 to 13 eggs in subterranean nests.
Conservation and Human Impact
Assessed as Least Concern globally by the IUCN, the Prairie Skink is nonetheless considered endangered or threatened in northern jurisdictions like Manitoba and Minnesota due to the catastrophic loss of native tallgrass prairie to intensive row-crop agriculture. Surviving populations depend on unplowed prairie preserves and railway rights-of-way.
Interesting Factoid
Young Prairie Skinks have bright electric-blue tails that thrash violently when detached, giving the young lizard a miraculous second chance to escape while a bewildered predator watches the detached tail dance on the ground.