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Western Skink

Western Skink line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Western Skink full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Western Skink was completed on 3.30.2011. I had been meaning to draw a skink for some time, but was unsure of the species. I decided to go with a local one that I'd seen in Northern California. Usually I only draw adults, but because the juvenile skinks have that distinctive and lovely colored blue tail (which fades into brown as they grow) I opted for a sub-adult. The drawing is based on a photo by Alice Abela.

Information about the Western Skink:

Western Skinks are native to the western parts of North America. It is one of only five lizards found in Canada. They are very adaptable and can be found in a variety of environments, including pinion-juniper forests, open grassy areas, desert shrub, and rocky canyon rims. These reptiles are fairly secretive and highly agile. They feed on small invertebrates like spiders, sow bugs, grasshoppers and crickets. If caught by a predator, the skink's tail will drop off and wriggle around, with the hopes that this will distract the animals and the skink can escape with its body (mostly) intact.