The lizard from under my garage

[MBCook]

I've know for a long time that there is a small lizard (gecko?) that lives somewhere near my garage. When I find her, she often runs to a small crack in the pavement right next to my garage. I've even found a clutch of her eggs in the past (should have taken a picture of those).

Anyway, it was cold out today (40? Fahrenheit or so) and I came home and opened the garage door. As it went up, there she was hanging off the door until she fell off just before the door got all the way up. I think she was hiding in the rubber weather strip at the bottom.

Anyway, thanks to the cold weather she wasn't nearly as fast as usual, and was a lot less skittish which meant I was able to get some shots. She was about 6" long or so. Attached is my favorite shot that I got. It was taken with the Digital Rebel Kit lens.

PS: I don't suppose anyone knows what kind she is?

[sparky]

I'm not an expert, but it appears to be some type of salamander or skink. If you are in North America, check out these sites : http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/narcam/idguide/index.htm#ambystom

http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/lizardsid/eumeces.id.html

[Buco]

hey thats a great picture MBCook!

[A.Crosby]

I am not an expert, but it doesn't look like a salamander...I think what you have there is a Skink....here is a webpage that has some photos for you to compare I couldn't get a good look at the tail in your photo due to the angle, but it is a cool picture! =)

http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/e.s.skiltonianus.html

I hope this helps!!
Adrienne

[MBCook]

I think you're right, it looks quite a bit like that Skilton's Skink. Here is the best shot I have that includes her tail (I cropped this a bit). The thing about her tail is that it was very clear from handling her that she lost it and it has been growing back.

(I didn't adjust this photo to fix the coloring)

[A.Crosby]

Yeppers! I would say you have a skink there! Much better than a skunk! ;)

[MBCook]

We have those around here too. Not that I've ever seen one (alive), but you can certainly smell them when driving on the freeway now and then (which, also, is when you may see one).