Skink in early April

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Skink in early April

April 9, 2021 by Mike Powell

Our recent warm weather has brought out all kinds of creatures, like this Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) that I spotted on Wednesday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. We do not have very many lizards in my area, so it is always a treat for me to spot one.

This skink blended in so well with the tree on which it was perched that I probably would not have spotted it if it had not moved. I love the way that the colors and texture of the skink’s body match the roughness of the tree’s bark, thereby creating a really harmonious color palette for the image.

Posted in Nature, Photography, Reptiles, spring | Tagged Alexandria VA, Common Five-Lined Skink, Fort Belvoir VA, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, Plestiodon fasciatus, skink | 14 Comments

14 Responses

on April 9, 2021 at 8:57 am | Reply shoreacres

I’m glad your skink was willing to slink into view!
- on April 9, 2021 at 9:01 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  A slinking skink? I live the sound of that. I was musing yesterday about how the words skink, skank, and skunk appear totally unrelated while drink, drank, and drunk are different tenses of the same verb. 🙂
on April 9, 2021 at 9:43 am | Reply Jet Eliot

I heard myself whisper, “Oh wow” when I saw this photo, Mike. Skinks are difficult to see because they usually zip away so quickly. I love the bark patterns here with that gorgeous reptile posed in the center. How fun for you to spot one, I bet it made your day.
- on April 9, 2021 at 10:13 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks so much for your kind words, Jet. You know me well enough to know that I was pretty happy to spot the skink and even more excited when I viewed my images on the computer and saw the interesting composition I had managed to capture. This is definitely a case when the environment gets equal billing with the main subject. 🙂
on April 9, 2021 at 10:55 am | Reply joyroses13

I wouldn’t have thought before that a skink would be cute but that’s what I found myself thinking when I looked at this. 🙂
on April 9, 2021 at 1:25 pm | Reply Wally Jones

Great job spotting this handsome critter, Mike!

And I agree with you on the combination of color and texture of both tree and skink.

Very nice photograph!
on April 9, 2021 at 2:07 pm | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

Wonderful capture of the skink in its environment to really showcase that camouflage and the visual texture of the skink and the tree bark.
- on April 9, 2021 at 2:26 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Laura.
on April 10, 2021 at 6:49 am | Reply Sherry Felix

Wow! great find.
- on April 10, 2021 at 5:49 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Sherry.
on April 10, 2021 at 8:25 am | Reply picpholio

He is loading his batteries…. that gave you a good chance for a great shot.
- on April 10, 2021 at 5:43 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  🙂
on April 11, 2021 at 9:16 am | Reply Reed Andariese

Nice Mike! Sort of a monotone image but in color!
on April 12, 2021 at 3:04 pm | Reply Steve Gingold

Think skink! Your riddle in reply to Linda at the top is a bit of a zen koan. 🙂