Blue-tailed skink

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Blue-tailed skink

August 24, 2015 by Mike Powell

I especially love seeing skinks when they are juveniles and their tails are blue. I spotted this Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) last week at Huntley Meadows Park.

Common Five-lined Skinks are a variety of small lizards that I see from time to time in my local area. According to the Virginia Herpetological Society, the average length of these skinks is from 5 to 8 and a half inches (12.5 to 21.5 cm).

This skink was on the trunk of a rotten tree when I encountered it. It was quickly clear that I was going to have to switch my camera from landscape orientation, which is how I take most of my shots, to portrait orientation, because of the length of the skink’s body.

I like both of these shots for different reasons. I find the curve in the body in the first shot to be more interesting, but the second shot is much sharper and shows greater detail. Which shot is “better?’ You have to make that call—I keep going back and forth in attempting to decide.

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments

11 Responses

on August 24, 2015 at 8:46 am | Reply wingedprisms

Nice. We have them in the KCMO area – but this year I have seen NONE! Thanks for the pics, 😀
cate b
on August 24, 2015 at 1:15 pm | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

Beautiful lizard and you have done a wonderful job of capturing it with all the textured and coloured detail. It is hard to pick a favourite as both are strong in different ways. The eye is a great deal sharper in the second image which makes it more engaging that way but I think my preference is for the first shot as I like the sinuous curve of the body shape.
- on August 24, 2015 at 4:48 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I can see you studied the images well, Laura, and essentially came to the same conclusion that I did. Thanks.
on August 24, 2015 at 4:12 pm | Reply Sammy D.

It’s a tie! Great shots.
- on August 25, 2015 at 5:35 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Sammy. I like the idea of a tie (and that’s partly why I posted both of the images).
on August 24, 2015 at 7:48 pm | Reply robert dutina

Just ran across two in my garden last week was not sure at first what they were. I like the first shot better-it is more fluid as if he is moving. Ths second is clearer, but seems rigid. Well done.

rmd
- on August 24, 2015 at 9:49 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I think I took the first shot as the skink was moving and the second one after he had stopped at his new position. He might have become more rigid, because he sensed my presence, though I too the photograph at the 600mm end of my zoom lens, I believe.
on August 25, 2015 at 4:53 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

Since they both show that beautiful blue color I think they’re equally good. We don’t have skinks here. The closest we come is salamanders.
- on August 25, 2015 at 5:35 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Allen. It’s always interesting to see which species we have in common in our respective local areas and which ones are different.
on September 1, 2015 at 5:20 pm | Reply Sue

Excellent job getting all of it in such good focus.
- on September 2, 2015 at 4:38 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I was pretty fortunate that the skink was extended so much and that I was able to get on the same plane as it was, which let me get so much of him in focus.