My response: Ted, after reading your response, I looked up skinks using a search engine. Discovered that some skinks are even pets. And I wonder what kind of skink this one is. Surely, not the kind that someone might keep as a pet? Could it be a blue-tailed mole skink? But its tail isn't blue.

My response: I intend to take your advice in the future now that I know the creature is harmless.

"There are skinks that could make you sick if you were to eat one. The only lizards on the planet that are dangerous to humans are Komodo Dragon, Gila Monster, and Mexican Bearded Lizard. The latter two you would have to pick up to put yourself in danger."

4/15/00 From Karrin: "If you hadn't killed the skink, you wouldn't need the exterminator."

My response: My creature looks pretty similar to your photo. But mine may be in the infant stage. But I wonder what others think. Is it a salamander or a skink? 

My response: Using the search engine Dogpile, I looked up "eumeces egregius" and discovered that at least some in this species are considered protected lizards -- the ones identified as "eumeces egregius lividus." I sure learned a lot from that mysterious creature beneath my refrigerator. My one regret is that I didn't make more of an effort to capture him alive and remove him outdoors as Sean suggested. 

4/16/00 Brian at first seemed angry that I had apparently killed a harmless lizard, but when I explained that I had acted out of ignorance rather than malice, he responded with:

Sorry I responded so strongly, I can count the number of times I've been shown a "deadly snake" only to have to explain to the person who had killed it that it was something harmless. It creates a 'knee-jerk' reaction sometimes. I could however suggest that you pick up a field guide for your local reptiles and Amphibians and in the future you can determine, before killing it, if it's dangerous or harmless. A good guide to look at is Peterson Field Guides: Reptiles and Amphibians (East/Central North America) By Roger Conant / Joseph Collins" ISBN 0-395-90452-8. You can probably look at it at most bookstores or order it if you need it. Another thing is if you think it's dangerous, let a pro, handle it. Attacking a venomous snake, could make it turn on you. You can contact some local vets or Herp (reptile) societies in your area for snake handlers.

4/17/00 From Mark: Nice shootin', Tex. You toasted a skink. BUY YOURSELF A FIELD GUIDE!!!

My response: I explained to Mark that I had acted out of ignorance and fear, no malice intended. And I was sorry for my mistake -- killing a harmless lizard. He answered as follows:

I'm a reptile nut who's been into snakes, lizards, frogs, spiders and the like for most of my life and saw the link to the story on one of the list servers I'm subscribed to. There are really very few things worth killing, even the venomous ones will leave you alone given half a chance. (I keep some of those, too.) Only a few have tried to taste me, usually within the first couple of days of captivity. They settle down nicely and become very docile pets. If it helps any, I've probably killed many more animals than you have in my misguided attempts to domesticate various critters over the years, skinks not the least among the dearly departed. So you're in very good company - lol! At least you put up a picture and asked about it. Some would just count themselves a great hunter and that would be the end of it. I'm subscribed to several lists that deal with snakes, lizards and the like. You may wish to go to http://www.herpkeepers.com and sign up for one just for fun. You never know, the "bug" may bite you and you'll end up another happy herper!

My response: Mark, What a nice message, and I appreciate it. Your earlier message had made me consider deleting the website. But I thought that it might actually do some good -- end up educating some people, like me, about harmless lizards. I know I learned a lot from the responses, including yours. But when I first spotted the skink -- and I never saw such a thing before -- it really worried me. I thought it might inflict a poisonous bite on me or my family. And when it darted under the refrigerator, I couldn't stand the thought of it hiding somewhere in the house.

I even tried to move the refrigerator, but it was too heavy and wouldn't budge an inch. So I got a flashlight and spotted the lizard, but it was so far under the refrigerator that the only way I could reach it was with something long and narrow. And thus the molding.

I really did create the website originally because I was hoping someone could identify it for me. But as the responses came in, I realized that there was a valuable lesson to be learned here: I had misjudged something solely based on appearance. My ignorance and prejudice had caused me to harm an innocent, harmless creature. How similar to how we humans so often deal with one another. So I decided to keep expanding the site, hoping that others perhaps might learn the same lesson.

By the way, I just came back from the library and skimmed over a book titled Florida's Poisonous Plants, Snakes, and Insects, by Richard F. Lockey, M.D., published first in 1963 and then again in 1978. Nothing in the book about skinks. I did read the statement that "all Florida lizards are quite harmless." The book was last printed in 1978 -- so I wonder -- maybe some harmful lizards are now in Florida. Perhaps some imported dangerous lizard-pets have escaped their owners' cages and are hiding under someone's refrigerator.

In the book, I learned that some Florida insects that look innocent can be poisonous -- insects such as the Red Imported Fire Ant (solenopsis invicta), the saddleback caterpillar (Sibiine stimulea), the puss caterpillar (megalopyge opercularis), the wheel bug (Arilus cristatus). The saddleback caterpillar I understand is very attractive looking -- so beauty, it seems, can be deadly.

Mark responded: The animal kingdom is HUGE! And beautiful. I've seldom seen an animal that I'd call ugly (though many humans fall neatly into that category). And some of the most beautiful are among the most dangerous. (Like women - lol!) Would it surprise you to know how many people keep venomous scorpions, centipedes, spiders, snakes, lizards (beaded and gila, the only venomous lizards), and fish? Venom has a certain ..... attraction. Go figure. I keep 3 copperheads, a cottonmouth, a pigmy rattler and a gaboon viper (along with an assortment of non-venomous snakes - cornsnakes, ratsnakes, kingsnakes, boas, pythons), 3 spiders, and a cat (no venom, just attitude). Never been bit by a hottie so far. (Knock on wood!)

5/4/00 Robin, the service manager of my exterminator company, not only identified the mysterious creature, but even wrote a poem about it:

Slip a skink into your sink.
Watch it wiggle and slink as you giggle and blink.

My response: Robin, it ran under my refrigerator -- not my sink. But I guess it's a lot harder rhyming with refrigerator -- unless under my sink ran an alligator. But maybe that's for my next website.