A terrestrial lizard (family Scincidae) that has a wedge-shaped head, long, streamlined body, long tail, and limbs that are small or absent. Most skinks burrow, spending much of their time below ground, and desert species are able to ‘swim’ through the sand. Most are carnivorous, but some herbivorous. There are many genera and about 1275 species, found worldwide but most common in south-eastern Asia, Australian deserts, and temperate North America.