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This site was created by students in the herpetology class at Towson University. Site last updated: 05/21/07.
Acknowledgements: Herb Harris - Range Maps; Mark Tegges - Photography; Dan Lapascha & Gigi Forester - TU Herpetology Logo
Five-lined skink
(Plestiodon fasciatus)
Description
This lizard ranges from 12.5-21.5 cm long and has a highly variable color pattern depending on age and sex. Young have five light stripes on a dark background color and a distinct blue tail. As they age, the stripes darken and are less conspicuous and the tail becomes gray. Females are more likely to retain the striped pattern, but males can become nearly uniformly brown in coloration with vague traces of stripes. This species is separated from other similar species in its range by the presence of only four upper labial scales.
Habitat
Five-lined skinks are often found in old woodlots or areas with a great deal of downed, decaying wood or debris. They usually seek the moist places under debris but may also be found in dead or decaying snags where insects are abundant.
Breeding
Reproduction occurs in late spring or early summer. Females lay clutches of several eggs in damp areas under debris or in soil. The females remain with their clutches until hatching around 60 days later.
Distribution in Maryland
Range map adapted from Harris, 1975.
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