Prairie Skink
Relatives in same Genus
Mole Skink (E. egregius)
Five lined Skink (E. fasciatus)
Gilbert's Skink (E. gilberti)
Southeastern Five lined Skink (E. inexpectatus)
Broad-headed Skink (E. laticeps)
Great Plains Skink (E. obsoletus) ...
The Prairie Skink is from the order Squamata. Species from this order are amphisbaenians, lizards or snakes. There are over 6,000 living species belonging to the squamata order - it is the largest order of all reptiles.
Prairie skinks like to live in open sandy areas in pine-barrens, or along sandy stream banks and sandy roadcuts. They build underground burrows that they use to escape from predators and as shelter at night.
Northern Prairie Skink
Eumeces septentrionalis
by
Status No status assigned in Minnesota. Description The prairie skink reaches lengths of 5 1/4 to 8 3/4 inches, total length (Conant and Collins 1991).
Formerly considered Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris, recent studies have indicated that this is a species distinct from the Northern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis). It is a thinly-built, short-legged skink.
Northern Prairie Skink distribution is strongly correlated with sand soils. All records are from sand deposits in northwestern Wisconsin. This small, spritely lizard feeds on small inverebrates such as spiders and crickets.
 See also: Skink, Lizard, Racer, Slender Glass Lizard, Five-lined Skink
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