The Western skink is between 2 and 3 1/2 inches long. Its back has a broad brown stripe edged with black. This is bordered on each side by three stripes that go from the nose, over the eye, and along the side of the body to the tail. The first stripe is cream-colored, the second is dark brown, and the third is white. Adults' tails are salmon-colored; juveniles' are blue. Young hatch from eggs. Food includes primarily insects, spiders, and sowbugs. The Western skink is active from spring through fall and is mostly diurnal. It occurs in open habitats in the grassland, chaparral, woodland, and rocky riparian communities of Poly Canyon.