Common Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon fasciatus
Reptilia
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- Up to 6 yrs
- Size
- Small
- Diet
- Insectivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Temperate forest
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Walking
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Speed
- Status
- Common
About
One of North America's most widespread lizards, the Common Five-lined Skink is instantly recognisable for its juveniles' vivid electric-blue tail — a decoy limb that can detach and wriggle to distract predators. Adults fade to brown with cream stripes, and breeding males develop a striking orange-red head.
Life cycle
- 1.hatchlingA miniature lizard cuts itself free from its egg and starts hunting tiny insects within days.
- 2.juvenileA juvenile sheds repeatedly as it grows, often duller-colored than adults and quick to dart for cover.
- 3.adultFully grown with adult coloration and size.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Scincidae
- Genus
- Plestiodon
- Species
- Plestiodon fasciatus