Broad-headed Skink

Imagine a lizard that's super fast and loves to hide! That's the Broad-headed skink. It's a type of lizard with a special name: Plestiodon laticeps.

These skinks are usually brown or gray, but the grown-up males get a super cool bright red or orange head when it's time to find a mate. They have smooth scales that help them zip through leaves and under logs. They are like little speedy ninjas of the forest floor!

Broad-headed skinks love to live in warm, sunny places with lots of trees. You can find them in forests, woodlands, and even in backyards in the eastern and southern parts of the United States. They especially like areas with fallen trees or piles of leaves because that's where they can find yummy snacks and hide from bigger animals. They are very good at climbing trees too!

These skinks are busy hunters! They love to eat all sorts of creepy crawlies. Their favorite snacks include crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, and even other smaller lizards.

Sometimes, they might even eat a tasty beetle or a juicy grub. They use their quick speed and sharp eyes to catch their meals. They are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals, but they mostly prefer to eat insects and other small creatures.

Did you know that Broad-headed skinks have a special trick? If a predator grabs their tail, they can wiggle it so much that it breaks off! This distracts the predator, and the skink can escape. Don't worry, the tail will grow back! The grown-up males also have a really wide head, which is how they got their name. This big head helps them fight with other male skinks for a girlfriend.