Helping a Skink to cross the road

There’s an Italian Three-Toed Skink, Chalcides chalcices, on the footpath at Parco della Caffarella in Rome. It looks like a snake, but I can see tiny legs. Can you? I can’t see how many toes it has but I’m going to guess at three, given its name. The scientific name is Greek, with chalcides meaning copper. I can see why.

It’s in danger here because they’re creatures of damper vegetated areas and it can’t move at all on this sandy track. It’s writhing but completely stuck. If only it had some sort of appendages it could use to walk. It’s at risk of the kids on bicycles racing down here.

I place it in a soft material bag, so I don’t touch it at all, and won’t damage it, and move it to a nice damp spot.

What a thrill. I’m a skink-rescuer. My cub scout training came in useful for something, at least. That’s my good deed for the day.