Northern Prairie Skink
Don Becker
Length 5-8”. Light gray-brown with several dark bands extending the length of the body. The belly is pale blue-gray.
Status in North Dakota
Year-round resident.
Range Map
Northern Prairie Skink primary (dark gray) and secondary (light gray) range.
Reason for SWAP Designation
Listed as Imperiled in Manitoba by NatureServe.
This species has a rather small range in North America, limited to patchy segments of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Little is known of this species in North Dakota.
Threats
Fragile sand delta habitat is at risk of destruction and/or degradation.
The fragmentation of suitable habitat may hinder interconnectivity of populations, as movement of individual skinks is usually less than 100 meters.
It is unknown what effect pesticides, development, and other disturbance has on populations of prairie skinks.
Research and Monitoring
- North Dakota State has surveyed eastern ND Wildlife Management Areas for Herptiles and their habitats from 2014-2016 and 2019-2021.
- Currently no dedicated monitoring is taking place. Possible monitoring options could include the general public through an application like Herpmapper, the NDGFD incidental reporting system, or national monitoring initiatives such as PARC. Monitoring should be directed at all herptile species.
Management Recommendations
- Manage grasslands for multiple successional stages.
- Prevent overgrowth by shrubs and trees to maintain openness in sandy grassland habitats.
- Restrict off-road vehicle use to preselected, less sensitive/lower quality areas.
Primary Geological Regions
Habitat Associations
Habitat Use
Prairie skinks use open areas with grassy hillsides of soft soil and small, flat rocks.
Burrow under stones or other objects on the ground.
The largest population most likely occurs in the southeastern grasslands of North Dakota, although records have come from the northern part of the state.
Focus areas where this species occurs include the Sand Deltas and Beach Ridges.
Diet consists of crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and other small arthropods.