The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Skink \Skink\, n. [L. scincus, Gr. ????.] [Written also
   scink.] (Zool.)
   Any one of numerous species of regularly scaled harmless
   lizards of the family Scincidae, common in the warmer parts
   of all the continents.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: The officinal skink (Scincus officinalis) inhabits
         the sandy plains of South Africa. It was believed by
         the ancients to be a specific for various diseases. A
         common slender species (Seps tridactylus) of Southern
         Europe was formerly believed to produce fatal diseases
         in cattle by mere contact. The American skinks include
         numerous species of the genus Eumeces, as the
         blue-tailed skink (Eumeces fasciatus) of the Eastern
         United States. The ground skink, or ground lizard
         (Oligosoma laterale) inhabits the Southern United
         States.
         [1913 Webster]