Squamata suborder
Sauria
Eumeces fasciatus -- Common Five-lined
Skink
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Purple shade indicates vouchered specimens. Light blue (cyan)
shade indicates photographic records. Yellow shade indicates verified
sighting. Slanted hatch indicates pre-1980 records only
NOTE: Not all specimens upon which these maps are based have been verified.
Key Characters: Smooth body scales; seven supralabial scales; two postlabial scales.
Similar Species: Broadhead skink.
Description: A medium-sized (up to 20 cm TL) lizard. Color and pattern depend on age and sex. Juvenile and subadult have a dark back with five longitudinal light lines and a blue tail. Adult female is similar but tail is not blue. Adult male loses stripes with age, eventually becoming uniform olive or brown. Jaws of male become swollen and orange to red during breeding.
Habitat: Wooded habitats including dry uplands, floodplains, and hardwood swamps. Also found on abandoned buildings and around trash piles.
Natural History: Mating occurs in May with eggs laid from late June to July. Two to 18 eggs are laid in sawdust piles, under fallen logs, and under leaf litter. Female usually remains with eggs until hatching. Hatchlings range from 6 to 7 cm TL. Arthropods are the main prey. Predators include birds of prey and small mammals.
Status: Locally common in the southern third of the state.