blue tails

A few weeks ago Clay completed a massive overhaul on our previously jumbled rock wall adjacent to the wildflower garden. This included removing several behemoth concrete blocks, ripping out quince roots, digging out the dirt wall, laying down weed fabric, reconstruction, and several sweaty shirts.

That is not, however, what this post is about. It is actually about nine (or so) leathery round pea-sized skink eggs that were unearthed in the process. Five lined skinks, to be exact, Plestiodon fasciatus. The mama skink was not extremely happy with the renovation and abandoned her skinkettes only at the last possible moment.

I was forced to take over the care of her charges, which involved placing them with some moist earth and rotting sticks in a mason jar. And a lid with holes poked in it, because they are sure used to air.

A week or so later, they hatched.

Margaret & William helped me transport them to a nice habitat up by the pond. And, after admiring one for a while, we released them.

They were gone in about .0235 seconds.


Going.
Going.


Gone.

Good thing I have a fast camera.