The common sandfish (Scincus scincus), also commonly known as the sandfish skink or common skink, is a species of skink that burrows into the sand and swims through it. It is native to north Africa and southwestern Asia, but is also kept as a pet elsewhere.
This skink has a long, wedge-shaped snout with a countersunk lower jaw, shaped much like a basket. Its compact, tapered body is covered with smooth, shiny scales that may appear oily to the untrained eye, and its legs are short and sturdy with long, flattened and fringed shovel-like feet. The tail is short, tapering to a fine point. The coloration of this species is considered attractive, being yellow-caramel with brown-black cross bands. This lizard also has bead-like eyes so it can close them to keep sand out of its eyes. Similarly, its nostrils are very small to keep all of the sand out of its nose and lungs.
S. scincus is relatively simple to care for as a pet, but rarely breeds in captivity, so most animals in pet trade are wild-caught.
