Wonders of Wildlife: Five-lined Skink

Five-lined Skink

Scientific Name: Plestiodon fasciatus

Found in Alabama: Common statewide

Diet: Carnivore (eats animals)

Adult Male Five-Lined Skink
Flickr – Tony Alter

Learn More About...

Classification

IDENTIFICATION

Adaptations

Life Cycle

Habitat Needs

Ecological Role

CLASSIFICATION

Scientists use basic traits to
group animals into different taxonomic
classes.

For a taxonomic classification chart comparing key traits of common backyard wildlife,
CLICK HERE!

What type of animal am I?

I am a vertebrate (an animal with a spine or backbone).
I am cold-blooded, so I cannot control my body temperature.
I have scales on the outside of my body.
I breathe with lungs just like you.
I have 4 legs.

The Five-lined Skink is a REPTILE!

IDENTIFICATION TIPS

Size:

Adults reach 5-8 inches in length.
Babies can be up to 2.5 inches long and look similar to the parents.

Key Characteristics:

5 light-colored lines running the length of the back
Streamlined bodies
Short legs
Each limb has 5 toes with claws
4 scales near upper lip
enlarged scales under tail

MALE

Brown body
5 light colored stripes along back
Head is larger and reddish orange in color

Male Five-Lined Skink
Wikimedia – Patrick Coin

FEMALES & JUVENILES

Brownish black bodies
5 white or yellow stripes along the back
Bright blue tail

Female Five-Lined Skink
Flickr – Judy Gallagher

PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS

Five-lined skinks can survive without their tails:

Five-lined skinks are fairly quick and will run away toward a fallen log or rock if threatened.
They, as well as other skinks, can survive without their tail.
If confronted by a predator (animal that eats them), they can easily disconnect a portion of the tail or the entire tail.
This brightly colored segment may continue move even after being disconnected. This can confuse the predator and allow the skink to escape.
The skink will regrow its tail, although it may not be as long as the original tail.

Five-lined Skink without Tail
Wikimedia – Judy Gallagher

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

Five-lined Skinks are diurnal:

They are active during the day (diurnal).

Five-lined Skinks care for their eggs:

After laying their eggs, female five-lined skinks stay near the eggs and care for the eggs until the young hatch. This is called brooding behavior.
By staying with the eggs, it reduces the chances of the eggs being eaten by other animals.
Females have been seen wrapping themselves around or laying on top of the clutch of eggs, especially in areas that have less moisture.
Although they are cold-blooded and do not generate their own body heat like we do, they will bask in the sun to absorb some heat. They can then transfer some of this heat to the eggs.
Five-lined skinks are normally solitary (living alone), but females can be seen in groups, sharing in the care and protection of multiple clutches of eggs.

Five-lined Skink Basking
Dreamstime

LIFE CYCLE

Nest:

Females lay eggs in moist soil usually under logs.
Females remain with the eggs for 4-6 weeks until the young hatch.

Eggs:

Females lay an average of 15-18 hard-shelled eggs per clutch and have one clutch per year.

Life Span:

They can live up to 6 years, but most will not survive that long.

HABITAT NEEDS

Natural Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	Feed on invertebrates (animals without a spine or backbone). Will eat spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and snails. They will also eat young mice, frogs, and lizards.
Water	Majority of hydration is obtained from food items. A moist environment is necessary for keeping their bodies hydrated and for reproductive success.
Shelter	Live in damp woodlands, hardwood forests, and mixed forests. They can be found under stumps, rocks, and other debris.
Places to Raise Young	Females lay their eggs under rocks, rotting logs, and in other natural cavities.

If you want to offer resources in your backyard habitat for this species, consider the suggestions below.

Backyard Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	Plant native grasses, shrubs, and trees that support invertebrates (animals that do not have a spine or backbone). Do not spray pesticides that might harm insect populations. Do not remove rocks or rotting stumps where invertebrates may be found.
Water	Majority of hydration is obtained from food items. A moist environment is necessary for keeping their bodies hydrated and for reproductive success. Do not remove rocks, fallen tree limbs, or rotting logs, or other debris that might retain moisture. Place sticks or rocks in shallow water sources that they can use as a perch.
Shelter	Provide a mix of shady and sunny areas. Do not remove fallen logs, rocks, or other debris. Use mulch or another substrate that holds moisture and provides potential cover.
Places to Raise Young	Provide areas where soil can be kept moist. Do not remove fallen logs.

ECOLOGICAL ROLE

Animals play an important ecological role in the health of habitats and ecosystems.

Food Source:

The five-lined skink serves as a food source for a variety of animals including hawks, American kestrels, crows, snakes, foxes, shrews, skunks, and raccoons.

Insect Population Control:

Five-lined skinks play a role in helping to control insect populations, as they are the main food source for the skinks.

FOLLOW US

JOIN/RENEW

SHOP

QUICK LINKS

HABITAT LEARNING LAB: