Length: 5-8 inches.                                             

Color: They are usually black or dark brown, with five light stripes down their backs. Stripes fade as the skink gets older, so adults may look all brown.

Habitat: Damp woodlands, hardwood forests, pine woods, gardens, and sawdust heaps.

Range: New York to Minnesota to Texas to Georgia.

Where in Connecticut?: More common west of the Connecticut River.

Diet: Worms, voles, small birds, and insects.

Notes: Juveniles have a bright blue tail.  They are one of the most common lizards in the U.S.  It is quite agile and difficult to catch. The juvenile's bright blue tail is an anti-predator device. It breaks off easily and twitches for a period of time. This draws the predator's attention to the tail and often allows the skink to escape an attacking bird, snake, or larger lizard. The tail then grows back.
th five light stripes dows fade as the skink gets older, so adults may look brown.