Common name: Schneider’s Skink
Scientific name: Eumeces schneideri
Family: Scincidae

Size:
Total length: 25–40 cm

Identification:
A robust, smooth-scaled skink with a glossy appearance and elongated body. The coloration is usually olive, bronze, or golden-brown with orange to reddish tones along the sides and flanks. The belly is pale, and the scales are shiny and overlapping, giving the lizard a polished look. The head is broad with strong jaws and relatively large eyes.

Habitat:
Rocky hillsides, dry grasslands, scrublands, agricultural edges, and semi-arid environments with loose soil or stones.

Status in Lebanon:
Native and locally common in suitable habitats across the country.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds on insects, spiders, snails, and other small invertebrates.

Behavior:
Diurnal and active during warm periods of the day. Often seen basking near rocks or shelter. Capable of rapid movement and may retreat quickly under stones or into burrows when disturbed. Generally secretive despite its size. Plays an important ecological role in controlling insect populations.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)