Sandfish Skink

The Sandfish Skink (Scincus Scincus) or common sandfish, common skink, is a species of skink notable for its burrowing or swimming behavior in the sand. It is native to the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula but is also kept as a pet elsewhere. The sandfish skink is an insectivore. It can detect vibrations that nearby insects create while moving, using those vibrations to locate, ambush, and consume them.

The Sandfish skink has evolved a strange, unexpected method of cooling off in the desert heat: diving into the loose, soft sand. Its winding motions cause the sand to vibrate at a constant frequency of 3 Hz. It does this to avoid overheating (since it has cold blood) and whenever it senses danger, particularly from its arch-enemy, the devil-headed Saharan snake. The lower jaw of this skink is countersunk and has a long, wedge-shaped snout that resembles a basket. Its legs are short and robust with long, flattened, and fringed feet that resemble shovels, and its compact, tapered body is covered in smooth, shiny scales that, to the untrained eye, may appear oily.