Scincella lateralis, formerly Lygosoma laterale[2] is a small species of skink found throughout much of the eastern half of the United States, and into northern Mexico.

The ground skink differs from the majority of North American lizard species in that it is generally considered a forest dweller.

The little brown skink is one of the smallest reptiles in North America, with a total length (including tail) of only 3 - 5.5 inches (7.5 - 14.5 cm)and 1 to 2 grams in body mass.

[12] S. lateralis lives in a variety of habitats, including deciduous or mixed deciduous/coniferous forests, hedgerows, palmetto hammocks,[13] and the edges of streams and ponds.

[14] Some evidence suggests that meander cutoff may promote gene flow across a riverine barrier in Ground skinks.

[15] The ground skink is a fossorial species, spending the majority of its time buried in leaf litter on the forest floor.

[20] A field study conducted showed that S. lateralis with lower body temperatures fled earlier in predatory events when the predator was farther away than did warmer animal.

[21] Unlike other forest dwelling lizards, S. lateralis is an effective thermoregulator, changing the timings of its activity in response to daily temperature fluctuations and conditions.

The active foraging of a ground skink is assisted by their ability to discriminate prey chemicals and "smells" by tongue-flicking.

[25] Predatory birds of woodland habitats, such as the barred owl and the red-shouldered hawk, also feed upon ground skinks.

Wolf spiders have also been seen as potential predators, as they are found in the same habitat and utilize similarly limited resources.

In contrast to Eumeces species, the female ground skink does not guard its eggs (Robert Brooks 2009).