Scincella lateralis
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Scincella lateralis, formerly Lygosoma laterale is a small species of skink found throughout much of the eastern half of the United States, and into northern Mexico. The ground skink differs from the majority of North American lizard species in that it is generally considered a forest dweller. Common names for this species include the little brown skink and the ground skink. However, the common name, ground skink, may refer to any species in the genus Scincella.
The little brown skink is one of the smallest reptiles in North America, with a total length (including tail) of only 3 - 5.5 inches (7.5 - 14.5 cm)and 1 to 2 grams in body mass. Its back is typically a coppery brown color with a white or yellow underside, dark coloration running laterally from eyes to tail and like most skinks has an elongated body and short legs. Transparent disks in the lower eyelids allow it to see with its eyes closed (Beane 2006, Palmer et al. 1995). Females tend to grow faster and be larger than males. Teeth size and amount for this species is more strongly correlated with snout-vent length than head size. Scincella lateralis exhibits sexual dimorphism where the females are generally... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Little Brown Skink sighting in Dallas on a given day, based on 186 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 33 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Little Brown Skink in Dallas on a given day, against about 10% in October to June, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Little Brown Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Little Brown Skink sightings, Dallas ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 20%) and Houston (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the Little Brown Skink that you can see in Dallas (family Scincidae, Skinks) are Broadhead Skink (about 10%) and Common Five-lined Skink (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Brown Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Dallas (186 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
