Scincus scincus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length up to 119 mm. A torpedo-shaped skink with perfectly smooth scales; the head is flattened with a short snout. The digits are much depressed with broad lateral scale fringes to facilitate motion in and on soft sand. The underside is concave to enable it to breath under the sand; the tail is short and laterally compressed. The color is yellowish with several brown transverse bands; juveniles are uniformly salmon-colored above, silvery-white below. The Common Skink is restricted to sandy areas, with or without vegetation, where it spends much of its time under the surface. It feeds on insects and other lizards, but also eats flowers or grain. The ‘sand swimming’ for which it is known can be used as a mechanism to escape from predators. The female lays a single clutch of six soft-shelled eggs. In Egypt, it is found in sandy areas of North Sinai, the Western Desert, and the northern parts of the Eastern Desert. Elsewhere, it is found in North Africa and the Middle East. It is common and widespread throughout its range.