Skinks are characterized by their smaller legs in comparison to typical lizards and are found in different habitats except arctic and subarctic regions.

[1][2] The word skink, which entered the English language around 1580–1590, comes from classical Greek skinkos and Latin scincus, names that referred to various specific lizards.

[9] The oldest known skink is Electroscincus zedi described from the mid-Cretaceous (late Albian to early Cenomanian) Burmese amber from Myanmar, dating to around 100 million years ago.

Based on the presence of osteoderms, Electroscincus appears to belong to the Scincidae crown group, indicating that some divergence among the extant skink subfamilies must have already occurred by 100 million years ago.

Despite being voracious hunters at times, all species pose no threat to humans and will generally avoid interaction in the wild.

Some species, particularly those favored as home pets, are omnivorous and have more varied diets and can be maintained on a regimen of roughly 60% vegetables/leaves/fruit and 40% meat (insects and rodents).

Many species are ovoviviparous, the young (skinklets) developing lecithotrophically in eggs that hatch inside the mother's reproductive tract, and emerging as live births.

In some genera, however, such as Tiliqua and Corucia, the young developing in the reproductive tract derive their nourishment from a mammal-like placenta attached to the female – unambiguous examples of viviparous matrotrophy.

In particular, placental development of whatever degree in lizards is phylogenetically analogous, rather than homologous, to functionally similar processes in mammals.

[15] Skinks typically seek out environments protected from the elements, such as thick foliage, underneath man-made structures, and ground-level buildings such as garages and first-floor apartments.

In parts of the southern United States, nests are commonly found in houses and apartments, especially along the coast.

[18] As a family, skinks are cosmopolitan; species occur in a variety of habitats worldwide, apart from boreal and polar regions.

Raccoons, foxes, possums, snakes, coatis, weasels, crows, cats, dogs, herons, hawks, lizards, and other predators of small land vertebrates also prey on various skinks.

Despite having sex chromosomes that are not distinguishable with a microscope, all major skink lineages share an old XY system that is over 80 million years old.