Species Spotlight: Five-lined Skink
Looks like: This small lizard has shiny scales. Juveniles are black with five thin, yellow stripes and a bright blue tail. As they age, the tail and stripes fade and adults become brown or olive color. During the spring breeding season the male’s jaws turn bright red.
Lives in: Moist, open-canopy woods with abundant ground cover and leaf litter. Most common on rocky (talus) slopes or cliffs.
Niche: Skinks feed primarily on insects and other arthropods, which they locate by smell. Larger individuals may eat young shrews and juveniles of their own species. They are prey for birds and small mammals.
Threats: Dry summers can dry up eggs.
Frequency: Uncommon
Reproduction: Skinks breed in May soon after emerging from hibernation. A month or two later, females deposit up to 20 eggs under rocks or logs, in loose soil, or in rotting stumps. Females often stay at the nesting site until eggs hatch in August through September.
Fun facts: Skinks defend themselves by showing off a bright blue tail when they are young. They can escape predators with the amazing ability to let their tails break off when attacked (they later grow another)
