Can anyone tell if these are the same species
 

of skink or two different ones..Both found under the same rock in central kansas(flint hills)

They both look like a Great Plains Skink, I do not think there is a subspecies for those skinks. Maybe there is a little Ground Skink mixed in, but I do not know enough about them, sorry I cannot help much more than that.

Great Plains Skinks for sure!! The most common lizards in Kansas, and also the largest skinks in the country. I have seen hundreds this spring already. You finding anything else? Im going hunting this Sunday. Good luck. :raspberry

why are they so different? the one on the left has a much shorter tail and no striping
the one on the right has a very long tail and lots of stripes..Are these just variations of the same lizard...I was wondering if one was a northern prairie skink and one a great plains?

The skink on the left looks as though it lost it's tail before.

Yep, these guys have it
 

remember : > genus, species, subspecies, these are Eumeces obsoletus ( Great Plains Skinks ) and one has definite lost a tail at one time as they do at random. Capable of getting to 12-13 inches and one of the most abundant lizards of Kansas of size next to the collared lizard of Kansas. They CAN be a great pet given very large cage area but the keeping of more than one in a confined area can result in tail loss. Sppeavy and myself can or has found this species in HUGE numbers in central Flint Hills Kansas. Have we found them to be aggressive little bergers ? Definitely ! LOL !

Omg
 

I guess you are right they are the same species...Look what I caught them doing, they didnt even care that the cat and both my kids were watching...My son had one a few years ago that we kept for almost two years, it never tamed down but became quite at ease as long as we didnt touch him, ate well and everything....Well these two are already eating ,drinking, and making merry

BTW do they give live birth or eggs? Im under the impression barrel skinks give live birth and I know my bluetongue skink does the live birth thing too..So does that mean all skinks do or just certain ones?