Oligosoma laterale

Skink Skink, n. [L. scincus, Gr. ????.] [Written also {scink}.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of regularly scaled harmless lizards of the family {Scincid[ae]}, common in the warmer parts of all the continents. [1913 Webster]

Note: The officinal skink ({Scincus officinalis}) inhabits the sandy plains of South Africa. It was believed by the ancients to be a specific for various diseases. A common slender species ({Seps tridactylus}) of Southern Europe was formerly believed to produce fatal diseases in cattle by mere contact. The American skinks include numerous species of the genus {Eumeces}, as the blue-tailed skink ({E. fasciatus}) of the Eastern United States. The ground skink, or ground lizard ({Oligosoma laterale}) inhabits the Southern United States. [1913 Webster]