Plestiodon fasciatus

Last updated

Plestiodon fasciatus
Eumeces fasciatusPCCA20040425-1563A.jpg
Adult male
Fivelined skink.jpg
Juvenile
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Plestiodon
Species:
P. fasciatus
Binomial name
Plestiodon fasciatus
Plestiodon fasciatus distribution.png
Synonyms
Plestiodon fasciatus on boardwalk at Francis Beidler Forest Plestiodon fasciatus.JPG
Plestiodon fasciatus on boardwalk at Francis Beidler Forest
Detail of head Plestiodon fasciatus head.JPG
Detail of head

The (American) five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to North America. It is one of the most common lizards in the eastern U.S. and one of the seven native species of lizards in Canada.

Contents

Common names

Other common names for P. fasciatus include blue-tailed skink (for juveniles) and red-headed skink (for adults). It is technically appropriate to call it the American five-lined skink to distinguish it from the African skink Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (otherwise known as five-lined mabuya) or the eastern red-headed skink to distinguish it from its western relative Plestiodon skiltonianus (otherwise known as the western skink). The blue-tailed skink proper is Cryptoblepharus egeriae from Christmas Island, but in North America the juveniles of any Eumeces or Plestiodon species may be called this.

Description

The American five-lined skink is small to medium-sized, growing to about 12.5 to 21.5 centimetres (4.9 to 8.5 in) total length (including tail). Young American five-lined skinks are dark brown to black with five distinctive white to yellowish stripes running along the body and a bright blue tail. The blue color fades to light blue with age, and the stripes also may slowly disappear. Females however, are more likely to retain the blue tail color as they age. [5] The dark brown color fades, too, and older individuals are often uniformly brownish. The southeastern five-lined skink, P. inexpectatus, of the Southeastern United States is very similar to this species and there is some overlap in range. The two species can be distinguished by their scales. [6] The broad-headed skink, P. laticeps, is similar, and may be difficult to distinguish from P. fasciatus. The former species usually lacks the two enlarged postlabial scales characteristic of P. fasciatus. [7] [8] Adult male broad-headed skinks, with their large size and swollen red head, are readily distinguished from P. fasciatus. [9] Research suggests that are sexually dimorphic in terms of size. The males are often larger than the females, but this depends on the area they live. [10] Their claws are short and curved downward; they make a right angle at the axis of each toe. [11]

Geographic range

Subadult with partly regrown tail pictured in parkland in Memphis, Tennessee Eumecesfasciatus.jpg
Subadult with partly regrown tail pictured in parkland in Memphis, Tennessee

The range of the American five-lined skink extends in the north to southern Ontario, Michigan and eastern New York. The western border is in Minnesota, Missouri and eastern Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. P. fasciatus tends to be most abundant on the coastal plain in the southeastern United States and along the Gulf Coast. It has now been seen in increasing numbers in the northern Chesapeake Bay Region of Maryland particularly along the shores of the Elk River, and northern Virginia.It has also been seen in northern South America, such as Colombia.[ citation needed ]

Habitat

The American five-lined skink is a ground-dwelling animal. It prefers moist, hardwood areas with a permanent water source such as rivers or streams, as well as sites to bask in the sun. [12] It can also be found in broken, rocky areas at the northern edge of its habitat. Within the northern edge of its habitat, it was found that they prefer areas with longer than average rock cover in areas with few trees. [13] While little is known about any hibernation patterns, P. fasciatus is rarely seen throughout winter and the surrounding months. It is assumed by scientists that they are sheltered and dormant under rocks, logs, or leaves provided by the hardwood areas it inhabits. [14] They are resistant to minor disturbances, but can be affected by the removal of woody debris in their northern habitats. [15]

Reproduction

Fertilization in the American five-lined skink is internal, with eggs laid by the female between the middle of May and July, at least one month after mating. Males will mate with multiple females. The mating season begins in May. The female Plestiodon will lay its eggs in June, and four to six weeks after the incubation, the young hatch. Thus the birthing process consists of laying eggs and external incubation. [16] Fertilization occur shortly after copulation, unlike many other lizard species Plestiodon fasciatus females are unable to store sperm between successive clutches. [17] One study found that most clutches had multiple sires, but within those clutches, there was unequal sharing of paternity. [18]

Females lay fifteen to eighteen eggs in a small cavity cleared beneath a rotting log, stump, board, loose bark, a rock, or an abandoned rodent burrow. [19] Females prefer secluded nest sites in large, moderately decayed logs. Soil moisture is also an important factor in nest selection. Females often place nests in regions where soil moisture is higher than in adjacent areas. Vertical position of the nest also varies with moisture, with nests located deeper in a soil cavity at dry sites. Even when nesting sites are not limited, a significant amount of aggregation occurs.

The parchment-like eggs of the American five-lined skink, similar to many other reptiles, are thin and easily punctured. Freshly laid eggs range from spherical to oval in shape averaging 1.3 cm (0.51 in) in length. Absorption of water from the soil leads to increased egg size. Egg coloration also changes over time, from white to mottled tan, after contact with the nest burrow. The incubation period ranges from 24 to 55 days, and varies due to fluctuations in temperature. Females typically brood their eggs during this time, exhibiting defensive behavior against smaller predators. Parental care ends a day or two after hatching when hatchlings leave the nest. Young American five-lined skinks, with a potential life span of up to six years, attain sexual maturity and begin reproducing within two to three years of hatching. [20]

Behavior

Closeup of face Five-lined Skink-27527-1.jpg
Closeup of face

Adult male American five-lined skinks exhibit complex courtship and aggressive behavior. Although males tolerate juveniles and females in their territories, they actively defend these areas against other males. It has been proposed that one of the functions of their blue tails is intraspecific communication with the purpose of preventing attacks by more aggressive males because the blue tail signifies that they are juveniles or females. [21] Vomeronasal analysis of chemical cues and recognition of sex-specific visual stimuli, including tail and body coloration, aid in the identification of sex. Evidence suggests that males may rely more on contact pheromones than volatile airborne molecules in the identification of conspecifics. Courting males grasp the necks of receptive females in their jaws after approaching them from the side. Using the tail to align cloacal openings, males initiate copulation by inserting one of the two hemipenes into the female's cloaca. Copulation events typically last four to eight minutes.

Female American five-lined skinks demonstrate high levels of parental care which reduces egg mortality. Females exhibit several brooding positions of variant contact levels with the body placed beside, over, through, or in a coil around the eggs. Brooding position varies according to soil moisture. Maternal body contact increases at lower moisture levels potentially reducing the transpirational loss of the eggs. In communal nests, females may alternate foraging and guarding of the nests, leaving eggs protected at all times. Females may also urinate in the nests and turn eggs to maintain humidity. In addition, females transfer heat from basking through body contact. Any eggs displaced from the nest are retrieved by head or snout rolling, and rotten eggs are eaten.

American five-lined skinks also exhibit antipredation behavior. In evasion of various predators including snakes, crows, hawks, shrews, moles, opossums, skunks, raccoons, and domestic cats, skinks may disconnect their entire tail or a small segment. It is thought that the bright blue color attracts predators to the expendable tail. [22] Skinks run to shelter to escape their death as the disconnected tail continues to twitch. Skinks may also utilize biting as a defensive strategy. [20]

Diet

The common five-lined skink's diet consists primarily of a variety of arthropods, particularly spiders, crickets, beetles and other insects. However, they have been reported to also eat newborn mice, frogs, and other lizards. Wild skinks will make short forays into heavily used core areas to find food. [23] Those who own a pet skink are advised to supplement the skink's diet with fruits and vegetables. In addition to eating insects, skinks enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables. Fruits that skinks enjoy include blueberries, mangos, raspberries, papayas, cantaloupes, strawberries, and figs. [24] Studies have indicated that the majority of the five-lined skink's diet is mostly invertebrates, which for some of the many prey species the effect is negligible, but because of its voracious diet, its predation may be a major ecological factor. [25]

Conservation status

The Great Lakes - St. Lawrence population of P. fasciatus is listed as "special concern" in Ontario and Canada by COSSARO [26] and COSEWIC. [27] It is illegal to remove any of the three species of skinks found in Canada from their habitats. Skinks are at the extreme edge of their habitat range in Canada, which makes it an area of special interest to ecologists, as extreme conditions place unique evolutionary pressures upon species. The American five-lined skink has split into two phylogenetically-distinct populations in this edge habitat; the Carolinian population, also present in the United States, ends around Point Pelee National Park in southern Ontario. The Carolinian population is listed as "endangered" in Ontario and Canada by COSSARO, [26] COSEWIC, [27] The St. Lawrence / Great Lakes population resides in the Ottawa Valley in eastern Ontario and tends to be more tolerant to sparse or rocky conditions than its sister subspecies. [28]

Captive care

American five-lined skinks can be maintained in captivity with minimal care.[ citation needed ] Some U.S. states impose general restrictions on taking reptiles including native American five-lined skinks from the wild without a permit or hunting license, for example Maryland (no more than 4 may be possessed without a permit), [29] Indiana [30] and Ohio. [31]

A pair of skinks may live in a 25-30 US gallon terrarium, and may live for 5–10 years with adequate care. [32] [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida sand skink</span> Species of reptile

The Florida sand skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae, the skinks. It is endemic to Florida in the United States.

<i>Plestiodon egregius</i> Species of reptile

Plestiodon egregius, the mole skink, is a species of small lizard endemic to the Southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western skink</span> Species of lizard

The western skink is a species of small, smooth-scaled lizard with relatively small limbs. It measures about 100 to 210 mm in total length. It is one of seven species of lizards in Canada. They spend much of their day basking in the sun. Their diet ranges widely, including spiders and beetles. Western skinks will bite if grasped and will flee if they feel threatened. It is a common but secretive species whose range extends from southern British Columbia and throughout Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming and into western Montana and northern Arizona and Missouri. They can also live in some areas of Texas It is widespread in northern California but primarily restricted to the coast in central and southern California. Found in a variety of habitats, this lizard is most common in early successional stages or open areas of late successional stages. Heavy brush and densely forested areas are generally avoided. Western skinks are found from sea level to at least 2,130 m (7,000 ft). This diurnal reptile is active during the warm seasons.

<i>Plestiodon anthracinus</i> Species of reptile

Plestiodon anthracinus, the coal skink, is a species of lizard which is endemic to the United States.

<i>Plestiodon laticeps</i> Species of reptile

The broad-headed skink or broadhead skink is species of lizard, endemic to the southeastern United States. The broadhead skink occurs in sympatry with the five-lined skink and Southeastern five-lined skink in forest of the Southeastern United States. All three species are phenotypically similar throughout much of their development and were considered a single species prior to the mid-1930s.

<i>Plestiodon gilberti</i> Species of lizard

Plestiodon gilberti, commonly known as Gilbert's skink, is a species of heavy-bodied medium-sized lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, and grows to about 7 to 12 cm in total length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Plains skink</span> Species of lizard

The Great Plains skink is a species of lizard endemic to North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prairie skink</span> Species of lizard

The prairie skink is a species of skink endemic to the prairies east of the Rocky Mountains in North America. It is one of only seven species of lizards that occur in Canada.

<i>Plestiodon inexpectatus</i> Species of reptile

Plestiodon inexpectatus, the southeastern five-lined skink is a common skink in the southeastern United States.

<i>Plestiodon tetragrammus</i> Species of lizard

The four-lined skink is a species of lizard, which is endemic to North America. It is a medium-sized member of the Plestiodon skinks.

<i>Plestiodon callicephalus</i> Species of lizard

Plestiodon callicephalus, commonly known as the mountain skink, is a species of lizard, a medium-sized member of the Plestiodon skinks, endemic to North America.

<i>Plestiodon multivirgatus</i> Species of lizard

Plestiodon multivirgatus, commonly known as the many-lined skink, the northern many-lined skink, or the variable skink, is a medium-sized species of lizard, a member of the North American skink genus Plestiodon in the family Scincidae. The species is native to the western United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern fence lizard</span> Species of lizard

The eastern fence lizard is a medium-sized species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is found along forest edges, rock piles, and rotting logs or stumps in the eastern United States. It is sometimes referred to as the prairie lizard, fence swift, gray lizard, gravid lizard, northern fence lizard or pine lizard. It is also referred to colloquially as the horn-billed lizard. One of its most notable behaviors is that of its escape behavior when encountering fire ants, which have been known to invade and negatively affect many of their populations.

<i>Scincella lateralis</i> Species of lizard

Scincella lateralis, formerly Lygosoma laterale is a small species of skink found throughout much of the eastern half of the United States, and into northern Mexico. The ground skink differs from the majority of North American lizard species in that it is generally considered a forest dweller. Common names for this species include the little brown skink and the ground skink. However, the common name, ground skink, may refer to any species in the genus Scincella.

<i>Plestiodon</i> Genus of lizards

Plestiodon is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae (skinks). The genus contains many species formerly classified under the genus Eumeces, except those now placed in Mesoscincus. They are secretive, agile animals with a cylindrical body covered with smooth, shiny scales. They are distributed from East Asia to throughout North America from southern Canada south to Mexico, including oceanic islands such as Bermuda.

<i>Trachylepis quinquetaeniata</i> Species of lizard

The African five-lined skink, or rainbow mabuya, is a north-central African species of skink lizard.

Blue-tailed skink may refer to:

<i>Plestiodon barbouri</i> Species of reptile

Plestiodon barbouri, also known commonly as Barbour's blue-tailed skink and Barbour's eyelid skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Ryukyu Islands (Japan).

<i>Plestiodon japonicus</i> Species of reptile

Plestiodon japonicus is a species of lizard which is endemic to Japan. The IUCN lists the species as least concern.

<i>Plestiodon latiscutatus</i> Species of reptile

The Okada's five-lined skink or Far Eastern skink is a species of lizard which is endemic to Japan.

References

  1. Hammerson, G.A. (2007). "Plestiodon fasciatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2007: e.T64227A12756007. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64227A12756007.en . Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Species Plestiodon fasciatus at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org
  3. 1 2 Stejneger, L., and T. Barbour (1917). A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (Plestiodon fasciatus, p. 69).
  4. Boulenger, G.A. (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ, Gerrhosauridæ, Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Eumeces quinquelineatus, pp. 369-370).
  5. Fitch, Henry S. (2019-12-13). Life History and Ecology of the Five-Lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus. Good Press.
  6. Breen, John F. (1992). Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications.
  7. Palmer, William M., Alvin L. Braswell, Renaldo Kuhler (1995). Reptiles of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   0-8078-2158-6.
  8. Palmer, William M.; Braswell, Alvin L.; Kuhler, Renaldo (1995). Reptiles of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   0-8078-2158-6.
  9. Beane, Jeff (2006). "Love Skinks". Wildlife in North Carolina70: 14-19. ISSN 0043-549X.
  10. Howes, Briar J.; Lougheed, Stephen C. (May 2007). "Male body size varies with latitude in a temperate lizard". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 85 (5): 626–633. doi:10.1139/Z07-043. ISSN   0008-4301.
  11. Brungs, William A.; Britt, N. Wilson (1960-12-30). "An Albino Five-Lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus Linnaeus". Copeia. 1960 (4): 369. doi:10.2307/1439781. ISSN   0045-8511. JSTOR   1439781.
  12. Beane, Jeff (2018). Life History and Ecology of the Five-Lined Skink.
  13. Quirt, Kate C.; Blouin-Demers, Gabriel; Howes, Briar J.; Lougheed, Stephen C. (2006). "Microhabitat Selection of Five-Lined Skinks in Northern Peripheral Populations". Journal of Herpetology. 40 (3): 335–342. doi:10.1670/0022-1511(2006)40[335:MSOFSI]2.0.CO;2. ISSN   0022-1511. JSTOR   4093002.
  14. Finch, Henry (2019). Life History and Ecology of the Five-Lined Skink.
  15. Hecnar, S. J.; M.'Closkey, R. T. (1998-09-01). "Effects of human disturbance on five-lined skink, Eumeces fasciatus, abundance and distribution". Biological Conservation. 85 (3): 213–222. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(98)00014-7. ISSN   0006-3207.
  16. "Common five-lined skink - Plestiodon fasciatus ". Virginia Herpetological Society. Retrieved 2 August 2015
  17. Bateson, Zachary W.; Krenz, John D.; Sorensen, Robert E. (December 2011). "Multiple Paternity in the Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)". Journal of Herpetology. 45 (4): 504–510. doi:10.1670/10-295.1. ISSN   0022-1511. S2CID   86218116.
  18. Bateson, Zachary W.; Krenz, John D.; Sorensen, Robert E. (December 2011). "Multiple Paternity in the Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)". Journal of Herpetology. 45 (4): 504–510. doi:10.1670/10-295.1. ISSN   0022-1511. S2CID   86218116.
  19. Harding, J. (1997). Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press.
  20. 1 2 "Plestiodon fasciatus (Five-lined Skink)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  21. Clark, Donald R.; Hall, Russell J. (1970). "Function of the Blue Tail-Coloration of the Five-Lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)". Herpetologica. 26 (2): 271–274. ISSN   0018-0831. JSTOR   3890750.
  22. Clark, D. R., & Hall, R. J. (1970). Function of the Blue Tail-Coloration of the Five-Lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus). Herpetologica, 26(2), 271–274.
  23. Hecnar, S. J., & M.’Closkey, R. T. (1998). Effects of human disturbance on five-lined skink, Eumeces fasciatus, abundance and distribution. Biological Conservation, 85(3), 213–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(98)00014-7
  24. "Common Five-lined Skink | State of Tennessee, Wildlife Resources Agency". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  25. Fitch, Henry S. (2019). Life History and Ecology of the Five-Lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus. Good Press. p. 3.
  26. 1 2 "Species at risk in Ontario". 16 July 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  27. 1 2 Canada, Government of Canada, Environment (27 April 2011). "Species Profile (Five-lined Skink) - Species at Risk Public Registry". www.sararegistry.gc.ca. Retrieved 19 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. Quirt, Kate C.; Blouin-Demers, Gabriel; Howes, Briar J.; Lougheed, Stephen C. (2006). "Microhabitat Selection of Five-lined Skinks in Northern Peripheral Populations". Journal of Herpetology. 40 (3): 335–342. doi:10.1670/0022-1511(2006)40[335:MSOFSI]2.0.CO;2. S2CID   85677729.
  29. "Captive Reptile & Amphibian Permit/License". Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
  30. "Indiana's Reptile and Amphibian Regulations". Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 29 January 2021.
  31. "Specialty Licenses & Permits". Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
  32. "skinks - Care Sheets Information about Five lined skink". Repticzone. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  33. "Caudata.org Newt and Salamander Forum". www.caudata.org. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  34. Georgia wildlife
  35. Palmer, Braswell & Kuhler 1995

Further reading