Skinks! Huh?
 

So, have you ever seen a skink? Or had your dog hunt down and kill one? Nooo, not a skunk (eww, that would suck!)...a Skink.

I swear, I had never heard of such a thing until today.

Last year, we rented our current home for the first time - moved in on June 1st last year. After being here less than a month, my big boy, Shelby, chased something thru the house and eventually caught .... the TAIL anyway. The thing was a long black striped lizard with a blue tail. I just figured it was a cool lizard..but it took 2 weeks for the real live body to come out and yes...Shelby caught that too! lol

Fast forward to an hour ago. We were outside, he goes chasing something around the lawn mower and across the back patio. I saw it go up in the folded lawn chair so I got him over there and slowly opened the lawn chair. Keep in mind this thing was HUGE! It looked like a little snake with legs lol

It flew out..up the wall of the house..jumped a corner and missed..falling into my Shelby's mouth! Score!!! lol

Turns out it is called (after much research) a broad headed skink. The one he caught last year is the same thing but was a juvenile. This one was a mature male "breeding" probably. This link shows the pics of both of them together so I was 100% sure then..

wildherps.com - Broad-headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)

I like skinks. We have a bunch of them living in our stone walls in the backyard. The come out to say hi when I get the hose. The only time I don't like them is when they get in the garage and poop. My boys haven't had a chance to chase to one. I'm sure Teddy would love to. :p

LOL, Shelby's score.:p

We don't have those....we do have anoles and geckos. My Cookie is always on the hunt. I managed to save one from her mouth a few weeks ago. She is hilarious..would love to climb one of the palm trees for one...they are mostly on those.

I think Shelby and Cookie would have a blast together! :D

OMG!:eek:

It truly amazes me what I learn here on a daily basis....what ever that thing is...eeeeeewwwww!! Sorry if it isn't a dog or cat with more than 4 legs, I am not on board! YUCK!

LOL at Shelby's score! :eek:

At first I thought it was a typo...skunks! Supposingly, skinks make nice pets, for some.
Blue Tongued Skinks as Pets - Care of the Blue Tongue Skink

Pets?!?!? I agree with you Jacqui...cats and dogs only!:) Terri I bet Shelby was so proud of himself:)

I am so glad we do not have anything around here that looks like that...I would freak out. Nope wouldn't want one as a pet or Winston to "catch" one.

Shelby was proud. He was not happy with Mommy for taking it from him with a fake out by putting a stick in his mouth really quick.

I didn't know what it was at first and I didn't want him eating it in case it was poisonous. :)

WOW that is hilarious. Kudos chases and tries to eat lizards too. LOL we are going to my grandmas house this summer for a few weeks and Kudos is going to have a blast chasing lizards and mice and bunnies. He is also going to have fun with my 2 other big dogs. :)

Skinks are good to have around. They eat spiders and insects and even small rodents. I read that they live in Georgia, but all I ever see here is the green anole. They eat insects, too, so I like to see them around. Plus, they are cute...:D

HOLY COW!!! :eek: I am soooo happy we dont have those. I think I'd faint!! :eek: lol

But I'm laughing at "Shelby score"! Hahaha :p

Omg..I'd freak seeing things like that in my yard as well. Saturday Wallee was after a cute little chipmunk in the back yard..I almost freaked when I heard is squeek. Now my question is, since these little guys think like cats and love to hunt little things would they actually kill and eat something if we were not outside with them? Not that Wallee is allowed outside without us but was wondering what he would do if he actually caught it. :confused:

Yeah, skinks are good. But I didn't know what that thing was at the time and it was big and freaky so it had to die :D

Also, Cindy - yeah, they would kill. They are mousers by nature. I don't know if they would eat...maybe. ick.