Sandfish Skink
The sandfish skink (Scincus scincus) is a small, smooth desert lizard of the Sahara and Arabia that dives into loose sand and 'swims' beneath the surface.
The sandfish skink (Scincus scincus) is a small, smooth desert lizard of the Sahara and Arabia that dives into loose sand and "swims" beneath the surface.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Sandfish Skink in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Swimming Through Sand: How Does It Work?
High-speed X-ray imaging showed that the sandfish folds its legs against its body and moves by undulating like a snake, propelling itself through the sand in a way that resembles swimming in a fluid. Models of granular physics explain how it moves with little resistance.
Smooth Scales
The skink's scales have very low friction, and it can dive into sand in a flash to hide from predators and heat. Engineers study the animal for sand-swimming robots and low-wear materials.
Hunting Under the Dunes
It senses the vibrations of prey, such as beetles, through the sand using its ears and jaw. See Southern Marsupial Mole.
Sandfish Skink at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Scincus scincus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Scincidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia (Reptiles) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Desert lizard that 'swims' through loose sand using a wedge-shaped snout, fringed toes, and slippery polished scales. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2021 |
| Habitat | Sandy deserts of North Africa and Arabia |
| Locomotion | Undulatory swimming in sand |
See Also
- Southern Marsupial Mole — another sand-swimmer
- Thorny Devil — another desert lizard