First saw Sammy in the spring. He ran into the shed as I raked the yard. Big lizard. Next day he was on the back steps, just looking at me, his red head cocked to one side. “Hello!” I said in baby-talk. Blink blinking of his eyes was his only response. “Boo!” I said, moving towards him. That lizard just looked at me and didn’t move. “Okay, you win,” I conceded. Left him sitting there on the back steps and went around and took the side steps instead. Didn’t want to disturb his reverie. Pretty soon I got used to his presence on the steps and made myself a sign that said SKINK ALERT in case I forgot. Decided to name him Sammy since he had obviously taken up residence at my house.
Often times I’d hear birds fussing and look up and there he’d be - high up in a pine, almost invisible except for the redness of his head. One day I spotted him in a sunny area close to some uncut grasses. “It’s hot out here, you crazy lizard!” I yelled. He looked in my direction and blinked, but stayed put. Later on I went out there to water my petunias and he was still there. And he had company. A little brown rabbit was trying to stare him down, but it wasn’t working. Pretty soon they were almost nose to nose in the sun. “Guess they know each other.” I thought as I eased closer. The rabbit’s ears twitched a little and Sammy moved to one side to let it pass. After that, the two were a familiar sight in my yard.
One day a friend of mine came to visit for a few days. We took a couple of beers out to the patio to enjoy the evening, reminiscing on old times. And wouldn’t you know it - here came Sammy. My friend was taking a long swallow of beer when he spotted the lizard. All of a sudden he spewed beer from here to China and leaped up on the porch, shaking with fear. “Quick - get the hoe and kill it!” he hollered.
“You ain’t never seen a skink before?” I asked.
“Look at it’s head! It’s poisonous!” he went on.
“First of all, it’s got legs, so it ain’t a snake,” I explained. “Second, it’s got a big ole head so it can eat beetles.” I continued. But try as I might, he backed up into the house and wouldn’t come out again. “Maybe they don’t have skinks in Ohio,” I muttered as I gathered up our stuff.
About a week later, I heard a commotion outside the back door. Poor Sammy was being attacked by jaybirds! They were dive bombing him from all sides, squawking like crazy. I grabbed the broom and ran over there. One swat and the murderous birds flew back into their tree. “You okay?” I asked. Evidently in his quest for bugs, he got too close to a nest. Good thing he was fast. Then, he headed to the safety of the shed. Lately, this summer I have noticed a large number of little blue-tail skinks, which are the offspring of those big red-headed ones. “Guess Sammy’s been chasing more than beetles!” I mused as I sat down next to him on the steps. He looked at me and blinked wisely - first lizard I ever met with a sociable nature!
