Plestiodon obsoletus
—
Great Plains Skink
This large skink was basking on a stone retaining wall along a trail in the higher-elevation Chisos Mountains portion of Big Bend National Park. It was kind enough to let me take a couple of photos before it turned around and slowly vanished into the dark.
Youngsters of this species sport spotted snouts, lips, and chins, and are very dark.
Printed references:
- Conant, R., Collins, J. T. 1998. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Third Edition, expanded
- Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2017. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, Eighth Edition
- Jones, L. L. C., Lovich, R. E. 2009. Lizards of the American Southwest: A Photographic Field Guide