RIYADH: Saudi Arabia hosts 11 skink species, including the sandfish, spotted sand skink and golden skink — adapting across dunes, oases and plains with their streamlined bodies and smooth, shiny scales.
Growing up to 14 centimeters long, these reptiles use clawed limbs and pointed snouts to navigate loose sand.
The famous sandfish burrows up to 40 centimeters deep to evade predators and extreme heat.
Skinks detect the vibrations of their prey under the sand. They feed on insects, arachnids and plant matter, thus regulating pest populations and maintaining ecological balance across the Arabian Peninsula.
