“Eye of newt and toe of frog…”

While in Strawberry, we saw what at first we thought was a snake, but turned out to be a skink. 

Here’s a little information about skinks….

“Typically, skinks have smooth, shiny, overlapping scales and elongate, cylindrical bodies. Their heads are cone shaped. Femoral pores are absent. The pupil is round, and many species have a large, transparent scale on the lower eyelid that enables them to see even when the lid is closed. In most species the tapering tail is easily broken but can be regenerated. Skinks are generally alert and active diurnal lizards but tend to be secretive, spending much time foraging under leaf litter.

Most skinks are small, usually not exceeding 200 mm (8 in) in total length, but a few species are larger, and the Solomon Islands giant skink, Corucia zebrata, may exceed 600 mm (24 in). This species is unusual in that it is arboreal and has a prehensile tail. Skinks are most frequently striped but may be banded, spotted, or uniformly colored. Males of many species develop broad heads, presumably used in fighting during the breeding season.”

It was cool enough up there that this fellow wasn’t moving very fast, but he moves just like a snake…almost not using his legs at all.  It was creepy to watch him crawl under the rocks.

QUOTES:

“You've got to get out and pray to the sky to appreciate the sunshine; otherwise you're just a lizard standing there with the sun shining on you.”  Ken Kesey

"Precisely the least, the softest, lightest, a lizard's
rustling, a breath, a flash, a moment - a little makes the
way of the best happiness."  Friedrich Nietzsche