Animal Profiles
Reptiles

Skink Lizard

Scincidae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Skinks are a diverse family of lizards. This account describes the common five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus), a quick-moving inhabitant of sheltered woodland edges in eastern North America.

Plestiodon fasciatus (skink lizard)

Representative species: Plestiodon fasciatus.

Patrick Coin · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Habitat
Temperate forest
Diet
Insectivore
Food
Insects and other small invertebrates.

Classification

Common name
Skink Lizard
Browse group
Reptiles
Scientific name or taxon
Scincidae
Taxon rank
family
Family
Scincidae
Source classification
Reptilia

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Young animals have bright blue tails.
  • Body stripes can fade with age.
  • Females attend their eggs.

Habitat and range

Five-lined skinks occur in eastern North America, including southern Canada and much of the eastern United States. Moist wooded places with logs, rocks, loose bark and basking sites provide cover.

Appearance and adaptations

Young animals have five pale stripes on a dark body and a conspicuous blue tail. Adult colours fade with age, and older males may lose much of the striping.

Diet and behaviour

Insects, spiders and other small invertebrates supply most food. Lizards use chemical cues as well as vision. Males can defend territories, while females remain with eggs during development.

Sources

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