A TWO-TAILED SKINK?

papa-pepper (80)in Amazing Nature • last year

Yup, that's exactly what we've got, and here's how...

Recently, our oldest son found something amazing that we don't always get to see, and he was showing it to another one of our children. It was a Little Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis) which, in and of itself, is not that incredibly amazing since they are one of the most common lizard species on our homestead. What made it incredible was its tail... with was split.

Like several other lizard species, Little Brown Skinks have the capability of regrowing a tail after it breaks off. Sometimes, though, the break isn't complete. In this case, I believe a partial break occurred, but the original tail did not break completely off. Then, out of the partial break, a "new" tail began to grow, as they are programmed to do. This causes a "new" tail to grow from the side of the original tail, causing a split tail.

I first saw this first hand with Green Anoles back in youth. I forget if it was pet shop "chameleon" (as Green Anoles were often sold as) or one that had been wild from Florida, but I specifically remember seeing just this. Now, in their youth, my children can see and appreciate the same thing.

My son even caught a "normal" Little Brown Skink for comparison. It's so cool that God designed these creatures with such a capability. We stand in awe of our Creator. We've included some other photos below so y'all can appreciate it too. Enjoy the photos!