Eumeces laticeps

Broadheaded Skink

Florida Distribution: Central part of the state North.

Identification: up to 32 cm. Has 5 labials. Large scales on underside of tail. Young of this and other species have blue tails. The blue fades and eventually they become a brown animal. Males tend to be darker than females with broad heads that can be orange or red in Spring. Females may retain 2 yellow stripes.

While moving a galvanized tank I found a female skink with 15 eggs and a Southern Hognose Heterodon simus in two separate burrows. The skink and the snake scattered. I wasn't sure what chance the eggs would have if I recovered them with something else so I moved them to an incubator. About a month later they began to hatch. After a few pictures I released the 13 that hatched.