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Skink

The Great Plains Skink, Common Five-Lined Skink and Northern Prairie Skink can be found in Iowa.

Most skinks species can shed and regrow their tails.

They can often be found hiding under leaves, in tall grasses, or in logs.

Most skinks are diurnal (active during the day) animals. They feed mostly on insects such as cockroaches, caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers. Larger species of skinks will hunt smaller rodents, snails, slugs and other lizards. Plants (in smaller percent) are also part of their normal diet.   Due to small size, skinks have a lot of natural enemies. Main predators of skinks are: cats, dogs, foxes, raccoons, snakes, large lizards, birds of prey.  Because of their insect-oriented diet, most people consider that skinks are valuable lizards that clean gardens from pests.