Gardener shares stunning photo of unexpected guest on patio: 'Prettiest thing in my summer garden was this little guy'

"The prettiest thing in my summer garden was this little guy" is how one Redditor decided to start a post on the r/Gardening subreddit. "We have plenty of 'guests' in our yard, some welcome and some not so much. This one was the fairest of them all."

So, what is this little guy, you ask? A skink, and not any type of skink.

According to the original poster, who shared a picture of the "surprise visitor," this is a western skink. In short, it looks like it's been made of gold, with a nice light blue finish for the tail.

If it weren't moving, you'd think it's a golden statue.

No matter where you live, you will have more chances of receiving such visits if your garden is a haven for biodiversity.

Replacing your green carpet of grass with a native plant lawn — even just a patch of your yard — is not just about saving money and time because of lower maintenance, but it's also about creating a small, healthier ecosystem for pollinators and other insects and animals like skinks.

Look up the native species that are best suited to the local climate and soils, or turn to other replacement options such as clover and buffalo grass. According to Landscape for Life, the U.S. is home to around 20,000 native plant species, so you have plenty of choices.

In the meantime, Redditors are thrilled by the original poster's discovery.

"We get them a lot where I live, they're delightful visitors to your garden," one of them wrote.

"We have these in Tennessee, I always wondered what they were called," another said. "Sooooo very pretty."

"I love those. They are badass. I have seen them jump on and bite the head off a giant red wasp like it's a toy bug," a third Reddit user commented.

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