drop-tail lizards

Question
hi I'm 10.i have been finding drop tail lizards in my backyard lately.I have some questions:can i keep them as pets?how do i catch them?(I'll release them though!)and what do they eat?

Answer
Hi Kimmy, I think that you must be asking about the lined and blue tailed skinks that are native to the U.S. They are very quick to drop their tails to avoid predators. You can keep them as pets for a little while to watch their behaviour but lizards born in the wild sometimes don't adjust very well to being pets and can become sick. I would suggest that you let them go after a few days. You would have to be very careful about catching them to avoid them dropping their tails. They tend to do this if you grab them so I would suggest catching them in a container or small box. They feed on small insects and spiders which you can catch for them or small crickets or mealworms that can be purhcased at pet stores. They like to hide in soil and under pieces of bark and leaves.