There's a bizarre snake-like creature roaming around Kentucky and people are freaking out.  Stop! Don't freak out and definitely don't kill it if you find one.

WHAT EXACTLY IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

This reptile figure is actually completely harmless and won't hurt you.  I noticed a few weeks ago some of my friends had posted to social media a lizard/snake-looking thing that I had never seen before.  It looked like a snake with little short, pudgy legs.

Jamie Wright
Jamie Wright
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Here are the different guesses from the comments on Jamie's Facebook post;

JAMIE WRIGHT FB
JAMIE WRIGHT FB
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Of all the comments the last two were right.  It's a SKINK!   I learned this skink most likely doesn't have a tail because he was probably lost it protecting himself from a predator.

Here's another skink I found on social media as well this one really looks like a snake.

CHRIS MORGAN
CHRIS MORGAN
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WHAT'S A SKINK?

Skinks look like a snake and a lizard had a baby.  They move much like a snake but have tiny legs like a lizard.

According to Wikipedia;

Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards.

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SKINKS ARE HARMLESS & ACTUALLY MAKE GREAT PETS

Pet Keen says there are seven different types of skinks that make great pets.

Skinks are rather easy to care for, which makes them great first-time lizards. If you get the right type of skink, it will likely be docile, amiable, and easy to handle once it gets adjusted to you. Their tanks are usually rather easy to set up, and most popular pet skink species do well in an enclosure with minimal decoration. Plus, many skinks are very affordable, making the barrier to pet entry low.

 

  • Blue-Tongued Skinks
  • Blue-Tailed Skink
  • Fire Skink
  • Monkey-Tailed Skink
  • Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink
  • Schneider’s Skink
  • Ocellated Skinks

If your kids have been begging for a pet and you aren't sold on the idea of a dog or cat here's a great way to compromise with them  Get them a SKINK!

Snakes in Kentucky

When you check out the guide, you'll learn--if you didn't already know--that there are only four venomous snakes indigenous to Kentucky and an ENORMOUS number of non-poisonous ones.

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