Squamata       suborder Sauria
Eumeces laticeps -- Broad-headed 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; eight supralabial scales; one postlabial scale.

Similar Species: Five-lined skink.

Description: A large (up to 25 cm TL), stout lizard similar in color and pattern to the five-lined skink.

Habitat: Open forests and around barns and outbuildings near forest edge.

Natural History: One of the most arboreal lizards in Illinois. Adults usually climb high into the nearest tree when disturbed. Mating occurs in May with eggs laid from late June to July. Five to 20 eggs are laid in sawdust piles, under fallen logs, and under leaf litter. Females usually remain with the eggs until hatching. Hatchlings range in size from 6 to 8 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.