FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The Common garden skink, also known as the Penny Lizard, is a small lizard with a long tail, that is local to suburban backyards. Places with trees, leaves, and soft soil are ideal for garden skinks to breed in. They are commonly found in most parts of Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and the eastern parts of the USA.
A garden skink is also sometimes called a pale flecked garden sunskink because of its love for basking in the sun, which provides as the primary energy source for the reptile. They have naturally dual-colored skin, featuring the colors grey-orange, copper, and brown-black. Garden skinks have shiny, scaled bodies with tiny limbs and may look like snakes but they are non-venomous. The garden skink's predators are mainly birds and larger animals like snakes, cats, or dogs. Like other skinks, they can detach their tails to trick predators, knowing that a new tail will eventually grow back within time.
Common garden skinks are lizards from the Scincidae family.
Garden skinks can be classified as reptiles belonging to the Reptilia class.
The word 'common' in the animal's name itself suggests how common garden skinks are. They're found in plenty of rocky, hot, and dusty areas.
The pale flecked garden sunskink or the common garden skink trends to live in suburban backyards, you will most likely find them in a sunny spot!
Garden skinks enjoy leafy, soft soils. Skinks are often seen in enclosed spaces under leaves, in long grass, and between rocks. They also hide around hot and dusty areas with trees and wood logs and are known for their love of basking in the sun.
Common garden skinks can live alongside humans since they are often found in suburban backyards.
Common garden skinks have a short lifespan and often live for between two to three years.
Being oviparous, the female pale flecked garden skink lays small white eggs between summer and mid-autumn, usually in communal clutches (the number of eggs laid in a batch) of six eggs each. They can lay a total of about 250 eggs hidden under rocks and enclosed spaces to keep them safe from predators. A common garden skink egg hatches a few weeks after it is laid.
Since garden skinks are commonly found in suburban backyards, their conservation status is currently Least Concern.
Common garden skinks are small lizards with long tails. They have smooth scaled skin and come in mixed colors of brown and black. They also may appear a dark shade of red or copper while sunbathing. Although, male and female species of garden skinks do not have different names, they differ in their underside's looks. The male garden skink has a light greyish shade here, and the female has a yellowish orange shade. They have four legs with five toes on each foot.
Garden skinks are tiny lizards so their small size makes them pretty cute if you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one!
Garden skinks use a chemical process of communication. With a great sense of smell, they can easily detect chemicals in the environment. They release chemicals called pheromones through their glands, and poop which can be a mode of communicating with other skinks.
Garden skinks are 3-4 in (8-10 cm) long. They sometimes appear to be bigger than this because of their long tails.
Garden skinks are swift and light weighted reptiles that move around very quickly. They hunt and eat prey within the blink of an eye and are especially fast when they sense trouble.
Garden skinks are super light, weighing between 0.01-0.02 lb (5-8 g).
Garden skinks do not have male and female names and the males and females of this species can only be differed through skin color.
Baby common garden skinks are usually called skinklets.
Garden skinks are insectivores and eat all kinds of invertebrates like earthworms, flies, grasshoppers, cockroaches, dandelions, small spiders, moths, slaters, grubs and caterpillars, earwigs, and small insects. Garden skinks especially love bananas, berries, and cooked vegetable leftovers. Skinks will either hide and wait for the prey or hunt actively, depending on hunger and enthusiasm. Once the prey is found, they shake it around vigorously to kill it with their sharp little teeth and swallow it whole.
So, is a common garden skink poisonous? Due to their snake like appearance, most people think they are, but these little creatures are actually non-venomous. They may occasionally bite or sting but are not poisonous to humans.
Common garden skinks can be kept as pets but they must be provided with the right care and food. Those who enjoy having reptiles as pets will love garden skinks as their movements and actions are fascinating and fun to watch.
Some garden skinks have green blood due to an excess of the biliverdin pigment.
Garden skinks are overly territorial and guard their nests against other male skinks during spring.
Garden skinks can grow more than one tail. When their current tail is damaged a new tail may sprout, making it look like a little fork-tailed beast.
Skinks' tails are fat-storing organs and are very important to them. Even if they detach the tail in case of danger, some garden skinks go back to eat the detached tail later.
The pale flecked garden sunskink can also swim in water with its long tail.
Common garden skinks are good and beneficial to have around since they act as a natural pest control. They enjoy feeding on invertebrates like insects, grasshoppers, beetles, worms, cockroaches, snails, and slugs. We must be careful not to harm their natural habitat by cutting off trees in the backyard or spraying chemicals to get rid of pests.
Garden skink's predators are mainly birds, cats, dogs, and larger reptiles like snakes. Even tiny birds like robins prey on Skinks. When it comes to tricking the predator though, nothing can match the garden skink. The skink's tail will drop if grasped roughly by a predator and a new tail grows back in time.
If you are looking to have a pet common garden skink, care must be taken to provide it with an ideal leafy and rocky environment. A primary threat to garden skinks is the loss of their natural habitat so you should avoid spraying chemical pesticides in areas skinks may live.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our cute lizard coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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