A Mysterious Path to Ponder
Last week, my blog described observations on the porch of my childhood home. A few days after I posted it, I observed another unusual occurrence.
On the second step into the basement, along an uneven crack near the exterior brick wall, I found a marble-sized, smooth indentation in the sand. It appeared to have been excavated from within the cavity of the cracked step.
In the photo, you will notice the sides or end mounds of sand were not flattened. Whatever made this rounded, smooth path seemed to stop rather than try to go forward.
I googled evidence of construction-like sand possibilities, which suggested termites or ants, but their trails and excavation habits did not match this sand formation I found.
I swept the sand away to see if it was insect activity. If it were termites or ants, the sand formation should return. However, it did not. I felt bad that I had swept this curious evidence away.
I began to wonder what could have possibly constructed this sand path which had abruptly stopped. I ruled out a small snake because there was no obvious S-curve in the trail.
It could not have been a mouse; there were no tracks made by tiny paws or tail.
Then I researched the possibility of a skink; some skinks have legs and some do not. Those that do not propel themselves forward by a rectilinear movement, a muscle contraction that moves them in a straight line. They also have a rounded belly, which could easily create this short belly-track left behind.
It looked like a marble had rolled through, neatly carving this path.
Skinks like to burrow, living in the nooks and crannies found in the porch’s faltering foundation. It hides deeper, avoiding any predators, and feels quite at home in human structures, especially those fallen away with time.
Perhaps the skink was digging its tunnel, following the present cracks, pushing through a sandy base only to find itself in an open space. Moving across the sand, its snout had pushed forward under the foundation. It must have sensed the concrete ended. Now what?
The dark void ahead would have smelled of looming danger, dampness, and a distant meow in the shadows. Maybe it experienced the sensation of falling if it went further; I imagined it reversing itself into its hole inside the concrete riser, safe and secure.
I placed a flashlight into the crack for a better look into a small tunnel that darkened into the crumbled cement. There was no evidence of a creature or any movement.
Skinks, like their lizard cousins, enjoy the warmth of brick from southern suns, making this porch the perfect place to be. However, lizards are more sociable and enjoy your attention as you share the heat, welcome a breeze, or watch an oncoming storm. Skinks, on the other hand, are reclusive, keep to themselves, and hide in the darkness of their burrow. I suppose I will never know for sure whether a skink was there, leaving behind a mysterious path to ponder.
Have you ever discovered an unexplained evidence of a creature? I would love to hear your story. Please feel free to leave your comments below.
