Wildlife Spotlight: Sand Skink

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The presence of the rare sand skink (listed as threatened by both Florida and the U.S.) is best detected by the distinct waving trails it leaves in the sand as it "swims" just below the surface. Slender, shiny and light in color, the sand skink reaches a length of about 5 inches and feeds mainly on beetle larvae and termites. The sand skink is endemic to the sandy ridges of central Florida. Its future is threatened by habitat loss from conversion to agricultural and residential uses and from habitat degradation due to fire exclusion. The sand skink appears to do best in areas free of abundant plant roots, with open canopies, scattered shrubby vegetation, and patches of bare sand.