| Sand Skink | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Scincidae |
| Genus: | Neoseps |
| Species: | N. reynoldsi |
| Binomial name | |
| Neoseps reynoldsi Stejneger, 1910 |
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| Sand Skink range | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Eumeces reynoldsi |
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There is only one species known of the genus Neoseps, the Neoseps reynoldsi, commonly known as the Florida sand skink. The species has been described by Leonhard Hess Stejneger in 1910 and named in honor of one A. G. Reynolds, who had collected the holotype.
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A unique lizard adapted to an underground existence, the sand skink measures 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 inches) in length and has a gray to tan color. Its forelegs are tiny and bear only one toe; its hindlegs are small and have two toes. The tail comprises about half of the animal's total length. The sand skink has a wedge-shaped head, a partially countersunk lower jaw, body grooves into which the forelegs can be folded, and small eyes which have transparent windows in the lower lids. These features enable the lizard to swim beneath the surface of loose sand. The diet of this species consists of surface-dwelling invertebrates, including beetle larvae, termites, spiders, and larval antlions.
Sand skinks are most active in spring, their mating season. They reach sexual maturity after 1 to 2 years and remain reproductively active for two to three years. About 55 days after mating, the female lays on the average two eggs, which hatch in June or July.
The Sand Skink was classified as a Threatened species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987. They only occur in central Florida — 115 known sites were recorded in 1999. However, researchers acknowledge that Sand Skinks are difficult to detect and might be found in more places with a suitable habitat if searched for sufficiently. Known habitat occurs in the Lake Wales Ridge but it is also found on the Winter Haven Ridge in Polk County and the Mount Dora Ridge.
The Sand Skink exists in areas vegetated with Sand Pine–Florida Rosemary scrub or a Longleaf Pine–American turkey oak association, including Florida scrub habitat. Food supply and moisture are important factors in the species' selection of habitat. Sand Skinks are most frequently found in the ecotone between Florida Rosemary scrub and palmetto-pine flatwoods where moisture is present beneath the surface litter, e.g., bark, and in sand. The species usually remains underground and burrows 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) beneath the soil to find its nourishment.
The sand skink is not an Endangered species. This animal was recommended for listing as a Threatened species in 1987. The current federal listing status is Threatened.