The Skink Tree

  Down back behind the canebrake, there is a tall oak tree that was marred during Hurricane Katrina.  Another tree was felled by the high winds and slammed into this tree.  The impact broke off one large limb and left a gaping hole.  The tree never healed completely and soon the wood borers took their toll on the tree.  While it still lives, the tree is mostly hollow.  Earlier this spring, I noticed that honeybees were starting to vacate the tree.  I had no idea that they had even built their hive in the tree but now they were hunting a new place to live. (I really need to get a few bee hives!)  Anyway on today's hike, I noticed that new residents had moved into the same hollow space that the bees were using as a door.

  On my hikes, I not only keep check of where I am placing my feet, I also peer into the treetops. One never knows what might be lurking amongst the leaves!  Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish critters from the tree bark, though.  I would have walked right past this tree if a bright flash of red had not caught my eye!  A lovely skink had scooted out of the hole in the tree and was sunning itself against the bark.  Ahh, that was quite a skink!  While photographing what I thought was a single resident of the tree, another skink crept out of the hole...then another and yet a fourth!  My goodness!  A whole colony of skinks had moved into that tree!  

  While all of the skinks had come out to soak up a bit of the last rays of sunshine, they soon changed into a feeding frenzy mode.  Ants were swarming.  With the ants flying through the air and landing on the tree, the lizards were feasting!  (Note...flying ants are mature ants that are leaving the original colony to start a new one.)  The skinks thought this was just fine and dandy!  Their supper was delivered to them right at home!

  I watched as the skinks ate their fill of the swarming ants and then, just before dark, made their way back into the crevasse in the tree trunk. Well, I guess it is good that the old tree is of some use and I am glad that the skinks are residents of the Bayou after seeing them eat so many bugs! Hmmm...I wonder what else is living in that old tree!